A photo of a soldier watching the birth of his daughter on FaceTime from an airport terminal during a flight delay has touched the hearts of many.
In May 2018, Brooks Lindsey, from the 2nd Battalion, 114th Field Artillery Regiment, was at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, waiting to be deployed to Kuwait for nine months.
But fate had a surprise in store for him when he got a call from his pregnant wife in Mississippi saying she was about to be induced. Knowing he wouldn’t be in time for the birth, she arranged for him to watch on FaceTime.
Tracy Dover, a fellow traveler who was waiting on the same delayed flight, captured the soldier on film sitting by himself on the floor clad in camouflage military uniform with his eyes glued to his phone.
She posted it on Facebook with this caption:
“This Army soldier was on my delayed flight home yesterday to MS. He had to watch his daughter on FaceTime. He was crying and our hearts were breaking. We all gave him space. When we heard the baby cry, we all rejoiced for him. I wanted to share this because I never want us to forget about our soldiers who serve us every day and the sacrifices they make.”
The couple knew beforehand that he wouldn’t be able to be with her for the birth. But when Haley’s blood pressure shot up and doctors found her to be preeclamptic, they decided to induce her immediately. It was Haley who later shared their story on LoveWhatMatters.
Haley put a call to her husband and Red Cross. Brooks booked a flight out of El Paso. His flight landed in Dallas when Haley was 5 centimeters dilated.
Unexpectedly, his connecting flight to Jackson was delayed for two hours. But the birth couldn’t wait, so Haley’s mother-in-law FaceTimed Brooks.
It was during this “window of time” that Tracy snapped a photo of the soldier.
Haley said: “He was telling me it was okay, and I was doing so good and I heard him wincing and saying ‘wow!’ through my pushes. I could hear people in the airport talking and cheering!”
At the crucial moment, as his daughter was crowning, Brooks relayed that his plane had arrived and he had to board.
Haley recalls: “All I remember was my doctor screaming ‘Don’t let him board the flight! She’s here! She’s here!’ So, the airport personnel let him sit there and watch till it was over!”
Afterward, the new father, feeling like he was on cloud 9, boarded his plane and flew home to his wife and newborn baby girl.
“When he walked in at 7:20 it was just Millie and me. He picked her up and held her for five minutes and kept saying ‘wow’ I can’t believe we just had a baby' but the entire time I was already dreading him leaving 4 days later.”
Haley expressed her gratitude for the love they received via the internet and in person.
“We cannot believe how far and wide this story has traveled! I really hope it gives other military families hope for getting their loved ones home in an emergency or other life change!”
The viral photo showcases what the men and women of the Armed Forces willingly endure. It has been shared over 91,000 times on Facebook and assists as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices military personnel make while in service of their beautiful country.
