All he wanted to do was get home, but after a flight delay, Brooks knew he was officially missing the birth of his daughter. He loved serving his country, but his heart ached to be with his wife. Suddenly his phone screen lit up with an incoming call.
It was almost time for him to board his flight, but he decided to answer quickly. What he heard the moment later made him desperate. "That can't be true... that can't be true" - he kept on repeating. This one call was about to drastically change his life and the life of his family.
A Spark That Ignited Love
Brooks Lindsey had met his future wife Haley in their hometown of Jackson, Mississippi. The couple had locked eyes across the room and fallen head over heels. While their love and connection grew deeper, it would later look like a ticking bomb to tragedy.
Brooks loved to hold Haley in his arms. She was small and fit perfectly like a missing puzzle piece. With only a few words Haley was about to shatter Brooks’s perfect reality.
To Protect And Serve
Brooks always knew he would join the military and Haley was extremely supportive of his decision. Brooks was nervous the stress of his career would impact how Haley felt about him, but the couple felt strong enough to brave any storm.
When Brooks was finally called up for active duty, it would be the ultimate test in their relationship. He would be gone for months at a time and couldn’t help but wonder how Haley would handle the separation. Her coping mechanism turned out to be his worse nightmare.
A Growing Family
The couple got married two years after they met and found out they were pregnant with their first child shortly after. The good news was celebrated with family and friends but didn’t change that Brooks wanted to serve his country.
Haley tried to stay optimistic and knew she had a lot of support, but ached for Brooks to stay home with them. She couldn’t imagine her life without him and it would just take one mistake to lose everything.
Planning Appointments Around Deployment
The call came in that Brooks would be leaving for basic treatment before heading to Kuwait. It was the moment of the truth the couple had feared. Brooks was devastated he would miss the birth of his daughter, but believed the sooner he left, the quicker he would return.
On the night before he flew out for basic training, he held Haley a little longer. Brooks whispered into her hair that he would return home safe for their family, but some promises are made to be broken.
One Final Decision
Before Brooks left for training, he wanted to reach one final decision with Haley. Since he would miss the birth of his daughter he at least wanted to help choose the name. The couple went back and forth but eventually decided on Millie.
Brooks thought the name was sweet and perfect and Haley loved how “Millie Lindsey” sounded. Brooks packed his bags and drove to the airport for training. He would count the minutes until Haley was back in his arms.
A Stressful Pregnancy
After Brooks left, Haley’s pregnancy became stressful. Millie was a healthy baby but her body was struggling with high blood pressure. She was forced to be on bed rest and tried to keep her voice calm whenever Brooks called for an update.
Haley didn’t want to distract Brooks while he was on a duty and began to keep the struggle to herself. Later she would realize this was where everything started to go wrong.
Trying To Find A Solution
Haley really wanted Brooks to be home for the birth of his daughter, but this wasn’t guaranteed due to his role in the military. Haley continued to push the issue and do more research but was met with a bureaucratic brick wall.
According to The Red Cross Foundation, the only way a spouse could return for a baby delivery was in an emergency. Haley’s pregnancy was stressful but it didn’t qualify as an emergency. However, one final accident would make it meet this requirement!
A Routine Checkup
Towards the end of Haley’s pregnancy, she went for a routine doctor’s appointment. When the nurse began the ultrasound her face became creased with worry. The high blood pressure was having a bigger impact than anyone realized and Haley required more tests.
After she did some blood work she was told to go home and wait for the doctor’s office to call her with the results. Haley went home but her mind was clouded with concern for Millie and what was happening in her body. Suddenly, the phone ringing interrupted her pacing.
Millie Was In Trouble!
On the other end of the phone was the doctor’s office, but they had bad news. The blood test results showed that Haley’s body was currently suffering from HELLP syndrome. Haley’s kidney and liver were being impacted and shutting down.
The only solution was to deliver Millie today! The medical team told the pregnant woman that they needed her to come back immediately. Every minute brought Millie’s life closer to danger, and now more than ever Haley needed her husband.
Finding One Positive Detail
Even though Haley and Brooks were scared, the good news was this was an emergency delivery and would guarantee that Brooks could come home. Haley only had an hour before she had to return to the hospital and managed to get a quick call into the base.
While Brooks couldn’t be there for the delivery he would be able to come home and be present to help Haley right away. He told his wife to be strong and he was coming home as fast as possible. With shaking fingers, he dialed the number that would organize his flight home.
Behind The Scenes
The Red Cross Foundation quickly confirmed the details with Haley’s hospital and organized Brooks’s travel and emergency leave. The soon-to-be father was bouncing from adrenaline. All he knew was that his daughter was in danger and he needed to be by his wife’s side.
Every minute felt like torture. Brooks knew that Haley was going back to the hospital at 3 pm and he felt the pain of not being there to squeeze her hand or hold her before the delivery. As he drove to the airport, he had no way to predict the drama waiting on the other side.
Unexpected Scheduling Delays
When Brooks got to the airport, he was shocked to see that there were no same-day flights available. The soldier realized that the fastest he could get home meant catching a flight tomorrow at 10 am.
There was nothing he could do and Brooks got comfortable waiting for the flight at the airport overnight. Brooks’s emergency leave guaranteed him four days being home with his wife, but he still wouldn’t see the birth of his daughter. It was just the beginning of the false hope for this young couple.
A Long Labor
Selfishly, Brooks was still crossing his fingers that he would make it home in time for his daughter’s birth. It looked like everything might work out since Haley’s water didn’t break until 7 am the next day.
Brooks was getting ready to board his flight, unable to contain his excitement and anxiety. When he got off this plane his daughter would be born and he couldn’t wait to hold his family in his arms. Suddenly, his cell phone rang and the caller ID was Brooks’s worse fear.
Who Was Going To Hold Haley’s Hand
Since Brooks couldn’t be in the delivery room with his wife she was allowed to ask two other people to stand in his place. Haley knew instantly she would ask Brooks’s mom, Theresa. The two women decided on a secret plan to make Brooks remember this magical moment.
The hospital had a strict no filming policy but Theresa decided to use modern technology and quickly FaceTimed her son. She let him know the plan and then tucked her phone into her shirt with the camera sticking out. When Brooks answered his phone, he was suddenly exactly where he wished to be.
A Doctor Notices The Phone
In the delivery room, it didn’t take long for a doctor to notice Theresa filming the special moment. Even though the hospital had strict rules, everyone knew how important it was for Brooks to see his daughter’s birth.
The medical team made an exception and even told Theresa where to stand. With this view, Brooks was seeing even more than he bargained for! It felt like he was right there but nothing could replace what the phone captured next.
The Sweetest Sound
Millie had arrived and Brooks could hear his daughter’s first cry over the phone. The young man couldn’t help it and be overcome with emotion as he sat on the airport floor. He couldn’t stop thanking his mother for figuring out this magical solution and didn’t realize bystanders had started to film him.
He excitedly told the airport, “I’M A FATHER!” and cheers from passengers and airline staff erupted through the terminal. Brooks grabbed his bag and raced to board the flight as quickly as possible.
Welcome To The World Millie Fritz Anne Lindsey
The airline crew had heard what Brooks was watching and made a special announcement over the speaker. The flight was full of optimism and people couldn’t wait for Brooks to be joined with his family.
Even though he had not been physically present in the room, Haley had heard Brooks telling her she was doing a good job, and him loudly exclaiming “WOW” when he saw the head. The couple felt blessed to receive the solution and now had four days to figure out how to be great parents.
An Unexpected Audience
Since Brooks had watched the birth on his cellphone, he wasn’t the only one that heard his daughter cry for the first time. Other passengers felt like they had been included in the special moment, and did something just for Haley.
The airport had erupted in cheers when they heard Millie’s first cries and Haley could hear the excitement even over the noises of the delivery room. It felt like the world was celebrating the amazing birth of their daughter.
A Wholesome Broadcast
A local news crew heard about Brooks airline FaceTime and was eager to interview the young family. Brooks only had four days with his family before he had to return to base but they thanked the crew and other passengers for their support.
It’s not every day you are welcomed into the world by a plane full of strangers but Millie was certainly surrounded by love. Near and far, there was no way to forget this magical day, and the couple was excited to share it with the daughter when she was older.