Matt and Kharli Kunarasa met when they were 7 years old — now, they’ve welcomed their first child together, 16 years later
Matt and Kharli Kunarasa first met when they were 7 years old at their church’s Sunday school, and had been inseparable since
Now, 16 years later, they’ve welcomed their first child together, capturing the sweet moment in a viral TikTok
The young couple discusses their milestones and how they’ve kept love alive as they’ve grown from childhood friends to a married couple nearly two decades later
In a heartwarming TikTok, Matt and Kharli Kunarasa share a glimpse of their love story, which began when they met at 7 years old and has now led to them welcoming their first child together, 16 years later.
The couple, who met at their church’s Sunday school, walk down a hospital hallway in a now-viral clip that reads: “POV: Watching the boy you met at 7 years old carry your first child together 16 years later.” The caption on the video, which has been viewed more than 1 million times, says, “Younger us would be so happy 🤍”
@mattandkharli Younger us would be so happy 🤍 #mattandkharli #couplestiktok #husbandwife #cutecouple #familyof3 ♬ original sound – Mik
Reminiscing exclusively to PEOPLE about their first meeting, Kharli recalls, “My sister was obsessed with Goldfish to the point that she dropped her entire snack on the floor and then started eating it. We hadn’t even met before this, but we both started laughing and were just joking with each other and we were making fun of my sister. And that’s literally how we met.”
From that moment on, the two were inseparable. They always sat together in Sunday school, forming a friendship that grew stronger with each passing year.
“I feel like when we were 8, we would start making gifts for each other on each other’s birthday,” Matt remembers. “It was a sign of affection we were developing for each other, even as kids.” As they grew older, their connection deepened.
By the time they were 10, their childhood friendship had turned into something more. “We were using this app called Kick and I had asked Kharli, ‘Do you like me?’ And I just saw the messages and was waiting and then she said ‘Yeah.’”
Kharli adds, “We officially became boyfriend and girlfriend in sixth grade. I remember Matt sending me a screenshot of a Valentine’s Day poem from Google. I was like, ‘Wow, look at all this effort!’ ” she jokes.
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While their journey has not been without its challenges, Matt and Kharli say their years of growing up together have given them a strong foundation. “It’s really taught us even more to depend on and trust each other,” Matt shares.
Kharli echoes this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of maintaining their relationship amidst the new responsibilities of parenthood: “We said even before we had the baby that we never wanted to lose who we were after having children. We cherish our relationship so much because all we’ve known for like 16 years is just the two of us.”
On July 4, they discovered they were expecting. “I had my suspicions a couple of days before,” Kharli shares. “I took a test by myself, but Matt insisted we take a digital one together. When it said ‘Pregnant,’ it was a surreal moment. We just looked at each other, realizing the kids who had grown up together were now having a kid of their own.”
Becoming parents has been a transformative experience. “The first couple of days were challenging,” Matt admits. “He wouldn’t sleep, and we were just trying to figure things out. But over time, we’ve settled into a rhythm, supporting each other and making sure we still carve out ‘us’ time.”
Looking ahead, the two are most excited about experiencing life’s milestones as a family. “We got to see each other through all of our phases of life and now we’re literally about to see this with a new human being through all his changes,” Kharli notes. For Matt, he hopes to be a role model for their son — and hopes Silas will find someone as special as his mother.
As many young couples have wondered about the secret behind their relationship, Matt and Kharli agree that “you have to be willing to have grace with each other, and forgiveness.”
Kharli adds that being selfless and understanding each other’s feelings is what helped them grow from teenagers to adults. “What we have done to change our relationship from high school is our ability to be selfless with one another and not have selfish tendencies with each other,” she says.
Reflecting on their journey, the two want others to know that long-term relationships can thrive. As Kharli puts it, “A lot of people have said, ‘If you’ve known each other that long, you fall off’ or something, but that’s not true. This is all we’ve known and this has been the greatest experience.”
