A Generous Stranger Helps A Military Dad Get Home In Time To See The Birth Of His Son

Sometimes the toughest journeys are not those in other countries, but the ones where the destination is at the tip of your fingers. That was the discovery of Sgt. Seth Craven who had been serving at a base in Kabul, Afghanistan. His wife was about to give birth to his first child, and after having been denied numerous times for leave, Craven was given permission to return home to be with his wife for the birth of their child. After an unexpected flight cancellation, it appeared that Sgt. Craven might not make it home in time. That was when a generous stranger stepped in to save the day, according to Today.

Having already traveled back to the U.S., Sgt. Craven thought he was only hours away from meeting his son for the first time. However, when a rough storm rolled in, all connecting flights from Philadelphia where he had landed and Charleston, West Virginia, where his family lived, were cancelled. After hearing the unfortunate news, Sgt. Craven’s wife Julie was discouraged to hear that she’d possibly have to go through the experience of giving birth for the first time alone. She was also sad for her husband, who she knew had looked forward to this moment for years, as the couple had already been through multiple miscarriages.

A woman named Charlene Vickers noticed Sgt. Cravens sitting on the floor of the airport looking dejected. It just so happened that Vickers and some of her colleagues were traveling to West Virginia on business and were able to offer him a seat in their car.

Amazing story of kindness. https://t.co/DPsizZ5lPv

— Victoria (@Soonercats) August 17, 2019

Vickers is a mother of two girls and remembers the elation of welcoming her children into the world. She didn’t want Sgt. Cravens to miss experiencing this first hand for himself.

“Once I learned that he had been traveling since Monday from Afghanistan to get home for his wife’s pregnancy, I knew I had to do something. I can remember giving birth like it was yesterday.If my husband hadn’t been able to be there, it would have devastated me. And the way Seth lit up when he talked about his wife, I just knew I had to get this guy home.”

Grateful and humbled by the selfless assistance, Sgt. Cravens accepted the ride and they all began making their way to West Virginia. He made it to his wife’s side just in time.

“Holding him that first time, it changed everything for me,” he said after the birth.