May 4, 2018, started like any other; airport workers at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport got ready for a long day of getting travelers to where they needed to go. In the afternoon, airline staff at a gate noticed something odd: a soldier, in a combat uniform, sitting and staring intently at his phone for a long time. At first, they let him be, as he wasn’t bothering anyone. However, when he started openly crying, they knew something was wrong. Furthermore, his flight needed to take off…
So, the staff decided to approach the soldier. That’s when they heard someone yell, “don’t let him board the flight!” When they finally discovered why Spc. Brooks Lindsey was crying, they couldn’t help but wonder what had led to that day’s strange events…
1. Meet The Lindseys
Brooks Lindsey and his wife, Haley Wilson, met in 2015, in their hometown in Jackson, Mississippi. From the moment they started dating, they became inseparable, falling deeply in love. Ever since he was a little boy, Lindsey had always wanted to become a soldier for the U.S Army. Luckily, Lindsey accomplished his goal and joined, with Wilson right there beside him.
Following his enlistment, the young couple married in 2017, becoming the Lindseys. While Brooks and Haley were still pretty young, they couldn’t wait to start a family together. Shortly after the couple exchanged their heartwarming vows, they received one of the best news of their lives.
2. A Wonderful Surprise
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When Brooks and Haley Lindey married in November of 2017, they had no idea that Haley was already pregnant with the couple’s first baby. However, once the newlyweds found it out, they couldn’t hold back their excitement. When they told their family and friends, it was clear they could not wait to hold their first child in just nine short months.
From there, time flew. Soon enough, Haley started heading to doctor’s appointments, ultrasounds, baby classes, and more, all with Brooks by her side. At one of the first ultrasounds, the doctor gave the couple some incredible news: they would have a baby girl in a short time!
3. Duty Calls
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While Brooks wanted nothing more than to stay home and support his wife through the pregnancy, duty knocked at the door. As mentioned, he had joined the army. After joining, Brooks became part of the 2nd Battalion, 114th Field Artillery Regiment. As such, he needed to go to Fort Bliss, Texas, for training. Afterward, Brooks would then deploy to Kuwait for a full nine-month tour.
Although Brooks wasn’t ready to say goodbye to his lovely wife and unborn child, he had no other choice. Meanwhile, Haley’s pregnancy was progressing well enough. Without knowing if he would witness the birth of his daughter, Brooks started getting ready for his shipment.
4. Going Away
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The day came for Brooks to leave on his tour. He kissed goodbye to a 7-months pregnant Haley and headed off to the airport to make it to his flight. While the couple felt disappointed, they knew that, as a soldier, Brooks’ job came first. As we said, they must make sacrifices.
They both hoped they might find a way for Brooks to witness the birth of his daughter. Thankfully, before he left, Brooks and Haley decided on a name: Millie. They both simply adored the name for their new baby girl. Although Brooks felt terrible about leaving his wife, he was also excited to begin his training as a soldier. The two of them had no idea where their journey would take them, however…
5. A Smooth Pregnancy
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As the pregnancy continued to progress, everything seemed to be going well. Other than a little high blood pressure, Haley felt and did just fine. Most importantly, baby Millie continued to grow strong and healthy. While Haley wanted Brooks to be there so he could see the baby as well, she knew that he was fulfilling his duty as a soldier.
Haley and the entire Lindsey family could not wait for the baby girl to arrive. At this point, it was just a few weeks until the mother would be able to embrace her daughter. However, Haley did feel a little nervous about the high blood pressure. Especially since this was their first child! Meanwhile, she still hoped Brooks could come home.
6. Planning for the Future
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Unfortunately, few soldiers can return for the birth of their children. First, the Red Cross actually has to sign off on the case, saying the soldier leave is worth it. However, it isn’t as easy as it sounds. “Brooks and I have been practicing my call to the Red Cross because we heard it was really hard to get men home for births and we were told the only way it would actually work is if I was in distress,” Haley said.
No matter how much they wanted Brooks to return home for Millie’s birth, it seemed like it would not happen…
7. No Hopes For Brooks to Get Home
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As everything was going well with the pregnancy, Brooks had no valid reason to return for the birth of his daughter. Needless to say, both the soldier and Haley felt very displeased about it. “We were pretty upset about that, because I was not having any issues with pregnancy other than a little high blood pressure,” Haley said.
However, everything would soon change, quite drastically. Haley went to a routine doctor’s appointment, one Thursday morning. There, she believed that the doctor would check on her and schedule an induction for a week out. Haley had already given all hopes up on Brooks coming home for her labor. But that wasn’t exactly how things happened…
8. An Unexpected Turn of Events
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After Haley arrived at her doctor’s office, they did the routine checkup. Surprisingly, Haley’s blood pressure had gone through the roof. The doctor had some distressing news: this might mean that baby Millie was experiencing some troubles inside the womb. As such, the doctor ordered extensive blood work done on Haley, to rule out any possible complications.
While they ran the tests, Haley’s doctor sent her home to wait for the results. As you can imagine, the mother-to-be became incredibly anxious, not knowing if there might be something wrong with her baby girl. On the bright side, that also meant that, at least, they would have a valid reason for Brooks to be able to return home. All of a sudden, the phone started to ring…
9. The Phone Call
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We can only imagine how Haley must have felt waiting for the doctor to call her back and deliver the test results. Just an hour after the doctor sent her home, the phone started to ring. When she picked up, she couldn’t believe her ears.
“After telling Brooks there was no hope in him getting home, my doctor [told me] my pressures were too high, and the baby was being stressed, and I was preeclamptic,” Haley recalled. Preeclamptic means that not only did the mother-to-be have high blood pressure, but now, it had also started to affect other organs, like her liver and kidneys. Most importantly, it could affect baby Millie as well. They had to act as quickly as possible!
10. Emergency Induction
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Because Haley’s condition continued to worsen by the minute, the doctor decided they couldn’t wait any longer. Worse still, they had to induce Haley into labor right away. “She told me to be at the hospital in an hour, and they would go ahead and induce,” Haley remembered. At this point, the most important thing was to keep both the mother and baby safe.
Still, Haley needed to let Brooks know her developments. “I called Brooks frantic, and he was so excited!” she said. After all, Brooks could now gain emergency leave and see the birth of his baby girl. However, before getting on a flight back home, the Red Cross needed to grant him that emergency leave.
11. The Red Cross
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As soon as Haley let Brooks know the situation, he told her to call the Red Cross to let them know as well. “I then went on to call Red Cross and let them know it was indeed an emergency, and they simply just needed clarification from my doctor. I get to the hospital at 3 pm Thursday, and they confirm my state,” Haley explained.
After the Red Cross confirmed her condition, they immediately granted Brooks emergency leave. While he felt excited to get home to be with his wife and child, he was also scared because of his wife and child’s delicate condition. Little did Brooks know, the next few days would be some of the worst and best of his life…
12. Booking a Flight
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Finally, after so long, it came time for Brooks to return home. While the soldier felt terrible, he could not stand beside his wife, Brooks did his best to get back as soon as possible. However, as is the case with pane travel, some hurdle appeared along the way. First, Brooks needed to find the shortest, soonest flight from El Paso to Jackson.
Unfortunately, he could only find with a layover in Dallas. Even worse, all of those flights for the day were full. As such, the soldier would need to wait until the following morning at 10:00 am to get a flight. So, Brooks did all he could do: remain at the airport.
13. Whatever They Could Get
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When Haley learned that Brooks might not make it on time, her heart broke in two. By the time he got to the hospital, she understood time was not on her side. “I was sure that we would already have a baby by [the time he arrived]! But at least he gets to come home for 4 days so I was taking whatever I could get,” Haley recalled.
Meanwhile, Brooks tried whatever he could to find an earlier flight, but no luck. The soldier and mother-to-be simply could not catch a break! Now, it seemed like Brooks would likely get home well after Millie’s birth. While this was better than not returning home at all, it didn’t make either of them very happy. Unfortunately, Brooks and Haley’s roller-coaster ride had just started…
14. Haley’s Water Broke
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While Brooks stayed trapped in an airport, Haley and Millie remained in the hospital. The following morning, her water broke. “Friday morning my water was broken at 7 am, and Pitocin (a drug often used in births) began,” Haley said later. Now, the baby could appear at any moment! Meanwhile, Brooks’ situation remained the same.
Brooks arrived at the El Paso airport, ready for his 10:00 am flight to Dallas. To his surprise, he had a short wait at security and boarded the flight with no issues. Hopefully, all the problems were behind them, and Brooks might make it to his daughter’s birth! Still, he had a long way to go…
15. Trying to Get Home
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Finally, Brooks boarded his plane at 10 a.m. and landed in Dallas around 2 p.m. Of course, the first thing he did when he landed was call Haley, to see how things were going. At that point, the doctor told Brooks was already five centimeters dilated. It seemed less and less likely that the soldier would make it home on time.
From there, things got worse and worse. Brooks’ next flight received a delay, pushing the takeoff time from 3:55 pm to 5:45. To the soldier, this marked the final nail in the coffin. With the delay, it became impossible for Brooks to witness his daughter’s birth.
16. It’s Go Time!
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Back the hospital, Haley entered the final stages of labor. Just before she started giving birth, Haley made a split-second change. “I quickly made my decision on who would be in the room during labor, and it was my stepmother, Dee Anne, and my mother in law, Teresa! The doctor came in to check me at 5:00, and she said it was go time!” remembered Haley.
Meanwhile, Brooks remained stranded in the Dallas’ airport, thousands of miles away from his lovely wife. Unsurprisingly, he felt heartbroken not be able to witness the birth of his first daughter. However, his mother, Teresa, had something planned to make it possible…
17. A Secret FaceTime Call
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During Haley’s delivery, the doctor specifically told everyone present not to record anything that happened inside the room. However, Teresa would not stand aside with her arms folded and watch her son miss the birth of his daughter. As such, she decided to ignore the doctor and started dialing on her phone.
“My mother in law secretly FaceTimed Brooks and shoved the phone in the front of her shirt,” Haley recalled. After all, this was the only way that Brooks would be able to see his baby girl come into this world. Soon enough, however, the doctor noticed and asked Teresa about the camera…
18. Pull The Phone Out!
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Right in the middle of Haley’s delivery, the doctor noticed Teresa acting strange. Soon enough, he asked her about her bizarre behavior. “When I began to push, the doctor asked what she was doing, and she showed my doctor Brooks’ face on the screen, and she realized what was going on,” Haley said.
As it turns out, a different doctor told them not to record, one unfamiliar with the family’s situation. However, the Lindseys’ doctor understood the importance of the phone. “My doctor told her to pull the phone out and show him what was going on,” Haley remembered. Meanwhile, Brooks’ was utterly stunned! The soldier couldn’t believe he could actually see his wife giving birth to their beautiful daughter.
19. A Soldier Supporting His Wife
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After the doctor allowed Teresa to FaceTime Brooks during the delivery, he started speaking up and did what any other husband would have: support his wife. “Brooks was telling me it was okay, and I was doing so good, and I heard him wincing and saying ‘wow!’ through my pushes,” Haley recalled.
Meanwhile, the hours slipped by quickly now. Before they knew it, Brooks needed to board his flight to Jackson! However, he couldn’t take his eyes off his phone’s screen. Who can blame him?! This is the moment the soldier and his wife had waited for for so long! As any new father would, Brooks started crying, overtaken by his joy. That’s when he noticed airport staff coming towards him…
20. Pushing Him To Board the Flight
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As they always do, the airport staff started calling for the final passengers for the flight to Jackson. However, Brooks, glued to his phone, missed the announcements, of course. So, one staff member approached him and nicely encouraged him to board the plane. He’d miss his flight, home, after all.
“Brooks then went on to say that they were making him board and needed to get off as soon as she finally started to crown,” Haley later recalled. However, he wasn’t alone. Many travelers had noticed the soldier, and they did everything possible to delay the flight a little longer. One of them even ran up to the flight crew and asked them to slow it down. Then, something even more unexpected occurred…
21. “Don’t Let Him Board!”
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Brooks was just about to give in and hang up the call when the doctor screamed: “Don’t let him board the flight! She’s here! She’s here!” Suddenly, the soldier went from nothing but tears to the biggest smile anyone had ever seen. Thankfully, “the airport personnel let him sit there and watch till it was over,” Haley said.
Millie Fritz Anne Lindsey came into this world at 5:23 p.m., leaving her father plenty of time to still board the flight and head home to meet his new bundle of joy. Soon enough, the word spread in the airport and everyone was surrounding the excited new father. Furthermore, airport staff said the good feeling hung around in the terminal for the day, even after Brooks’ plane left.
22. Everyone Was Cheering Up
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Thankfully, Brooks did not have to board that plane alone. Not anymore. “There was a whole crowd of us around him. We all felt like we were part of the family. And when that baby was born, and we could hear it crying, it was just amazing,” a fellow passenger later recalled. “Everybody was just beside themselves with excitement,” another passenger added.
Across the country, Haley could also hear everyone cheering up in the background. It must have been such an incredible, heartwarming scene to witness. Furthermore, Brooks felt beyond grateful for the flight’s lucky delay. To him, it was a blessing!
23. A Blissful Delay
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If his flight hadn’t been delayed, Brooks would have missed the birth of his baby girl. “Honestly it was a blessing that he was delayed because he would’ve been in the air and he wouldn’t have known anything at all,” said Haley later. Instead, Brooks watched the whole thing live on his phone! In the end, everything worked out for the best. In fact, the soldier might be one of the only travelers ever to love a delay!
However, Brooks still had a flight to hop on. If all went well, he’d make it to the hospital within the next couple of hours. After all, the soldier still needed to meet baby Millie and hold her for the very first time!
24. Finally Heading Home
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Once it was all over, Brooks finally boarded his flight back home. After a long wait and a day full of emotions, the soldier felt more than ready to return to his wife and daughter’s side. Brooks turned off his phone, knowing that in a couple of hours, he would land in Jackson.
While Brooks was happier than ever, he still wanted to make sure that Haley and baby Millie were doing well. So, the flight seemed to drag on forever… Thankfully, two hours later, Brooks landed in Jackson’s airport. Afterward, the soldier headed to the hospital where Haley and Millie waited for him. After all that time, Brooks finally made it home!
25. Haley Is Okay
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When Brooks finally made it to the hospital, he was thrilled to learn that Haley felt great. Her blood pressure started coming down after the birth, and there weren’t any further complications. Furthermore, Brooks learned everything about his beautiful baby girl, like that Millie weighed 7 pounds and 6 ounces and was 21 inches long!
Most importantly, however, Millie was healthy and strong, though she came two weeks early. “When Brooks got to the hospital I asked all 17 people to leave the room,” Haley recalled. It was time for baby Millie to meet the soldier who struggled all day long to get to her: her father.
26. Meeting His Baby Girl
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Brooks picked up his baby girl and held her for five minutes straight. Furthermore, he kept saying to his wife, “Wow, I can’t believe we just had a baby.” The soldier couldn’t believe he had actually made it. “I held my daughter for the first time, and I hugged and kissed my wife,” Brooks said later. “It was emotional, especially not being there for the actual birth, to get to see her and hold her first the first time.”
“She is perfect,” he added. Unfortunately, Brooks could only stay for four days. After that, he would be on his way back to Fort Bliss. As such, the couple had to make the best out of the short time they had together.
27. Quality Time With Baby Millie
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Over the next four days, Brooks spent his time learning to change dirty diapers, snapping photos, and waking up in the middle of the night to help Haley with Millie. While some might hate this, Brooks loved every moment of it. To the soldier, being a father is one of the best things that ever happened to him.
However, the couple had no idea that their story would soon make headlines across the country. “He told me about the people on his flight cheering and watching, and I told him it would be crazy if Ellen called,” Haley joked. The next morning the couple woke up to see Brooks, plastered across the internet.
28. A Secret Video
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Tracy Dover, one Brooks’ fellow passengers, felt incredibly touched by the soldier’s story. As such, she decided to record Brooks as he watched the birth of his daughter. After the flight, Dover posted it on Facebook. Surprisingly, the emotional video went viral within just a couple of hours.
“This Army soldier was on my delayed flight home yesterday to MS,” Dover wrote. “He had to watch the birth of 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.”
29. The Viral Reaction
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The emotional video of Brooks Lindsey watching his baby’s birth touched many hearts, around the globe. “The next morning, we woke up to someone telling us to check Facebook where we had over 1,000 shares and 20,000 likes. We thought that was it but NO WAY it’s still going strong!” Haley recalled. Within just a few days, the video amassed more than 200,000 views!
Brooks said that, at the time, he had no idea he was being filmed in the airport. “I was just in my own little zone,” Brooks explained. “My only intentions were getting home to see my daughter being born, but it turned into something much more than we anticipated.”
30. Lots of Sweet Messages
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Both Haley and Brooks were surprised by the overwhelming response from strangers wishing them all the best. Haley said, “I have the sweetest messages, and I also have other military wives and mothers messaging me about how I got in touch with Red Cross and got him home and any tips.”
“We had random people bringing gifts to our rooms and nurses coming in and thanking Brooks for his service! It has been an amazing, emotional time full of so much support!” she continued. Brooks’ regiment also congratulated the family on Facebook by sharing a sweet picture of him and baby Millie.
31. It’s Time To Go Back
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While Brooks enjoyed his time at home with Haley and Millie, he understood he needed to return to his mission. So, the soldier enjoyed those four days as thoroughly as he could. Before he knew it, Brooks needed to return to For Bliss to continue his training.
However, this time, Brooks would have a beautiful story to share! Although it is never easy to leave your newborn child, Brooks and Haley knew that they are doing the right thing by allowing him to serve his country. After all, it was always his dream! And now, Brooks has one more reason to continue fighting for his country: his beautiful baby Millie. Furthermore, the soldier and his new daughter FaceTimed regularly during his service term!
32. The Sacrifice of Every Soldier
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Most people are not aware of the incredible sacrifices that a soldier needs to make in order to protect the country that they chose to serve. Brooks Lindsey is living proof of what many soldiers have to endure over their military career. Thankfully, today he is home and enjoying life with little Millie. Unfortunately, unlike Brooks, soldiers often have to miss children’s births and birthdays or their wedding anniversary. However, many, in the end, believe it is all worth it.
No one knows the sacrifices of each soldier more than Rick Raley, a brave veteran and wonderful husband, father, and role model. Just like Brooks, he was simply a soldier trying to get home to his pregnant wife when tragedy struck…
33. Raley’s Army Service
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Raley, born and raised in New York, decided to join the Army National Guard back in 2004. While overseas, the soldier, alongside his unit, unofficially titled “The Avengers,” conducted over 200 combat missions and convoys. Furthermore, soon enough, Raley got on the lead truck of every mission. In time, Raley’s unit became a part of his family, and he would always protect them.
In 2008, Raley’s first deployment in Iraq was finally coming to an end. Although he was an excellent soldier, Raley couldn’t wait to go back home. You see, at that moment, his wife was five months pregnant and, just like Brooks Lindsey, he wanted to prepare for the birth of his son. However, a devastating incident happened just before his planned return.
34. Everything Changed in a Heartbeat
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One day, Raley’s truck went on an everyday convoy. Suddenly, he tripped on an improvised explosive device (IED). While most of his fellow soldiers were injured, including himself, his unit managed to make the two-mile trek back to base. For their brave action during these events, Raley and two other soldiers received Purple Hearts.
Raley managed to make it back home to his wife and unborn child at home. However, it came at a cost. While Raley had no visible scars, this soldier suffered a traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). From there, things got worse. Just six months after returning home from Iraq, Raley got in an almost fatal truck accident. As a result, he was paralyzed from the waist down. However, it was the emotional scars that continue to haunt the veteran…
35. Raley’s Bike Journey
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While still trying to be the best husband and father he could, Raley struggled with PTSD. As such, he decided to take matters in his own hands, attempting to find motivation and passion in life. Thankfully, he found comfort in adaptive sports such as wheelchair basketball and cycling, also known as “handcycling.” Soon enough, Raley discovered The Boot Campaign, a life-improving program for veterans to bridge the divide between military and civilian life.
Now, Rick Raley is making his way through the States, trying to raise awareness and money for this incredible campaign. The veteran is cycling 1,500 miles from New York to Florida, where the Wounded Warriors Abilities Ranch is located. Raley hopes to raise at least $150,000 for his incredible cause. It is stories like this one that inspires us and makes us grateful for all these amazing soldiers.
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