An 11-year-old girl received a beautiful birthday surprise in her school canteen when she was presented with a stuffed doll that she knew indicated her soldier dad was home from deployment. Before heading overseas with the United States Army National Guard, Jesse Morrow, from Alabama, won a stuffed Stewie Griffin doll while playing on a machine at a bowling alley. Jesse's battle buddy had an idea - why not take Stewie on their deployment and document his travels to send back to Jesse's daughter, Izabelle? Over the months that followed, Jesse took photos and videos of Stewie on planes, with his fellow military personnel, and while in transit. When it came time to come home at the start of 2023, Jesse knew he had to incorporate Stewie in some way. He contacted Isabelle's school – Markham Park Elementary, in Illinois – and asked if he could have a surprise lunch with his daughter. After the school had said yes, the surprise itself was set up with Stewie front and center. During Izabelle's birthday celebrations, she was given the doll, which she knew meant her father must be home. Jesse then appeared and headed over to his daughter for a long-awaited hug.
Category
🛠️
LifestyleTranscript
00:00 Happy birthday!
00:01 Jesse just came back from deployment.
00:04 Say it!
00:05 Right in time for his daughter Isabel's 11th birthday.
00:09 But there's a secret guest that came along, too.
00:13 Back before he left overseas,
00:18 one of his battle buddies had a great idea.
00:21 Take photos of a stuffed animal throughout the deployment
00:25 and send them home.
00:26 Let me have some stalkers for this deployment.
00:30 That way it kind of tells the story of where I've been
00:33 and just something that I can keep my kids engaged
00:35 of interacting with them throughout the deployment.
00:39 Just to send it back to them and let them see
00:41 kind of different parts of the world as I see it.
00:43 And Jesse had two stuffed characters.
00:46 He had one at a bowling alley that were perfect for the job.
00:50 These two followed him everywhere.
00:56 They're both here.
00:56 And his family loved seeing their adventures
01:05 and where Stewie was off to next.
01:08 They were amazed, but I talked with them
01:10 and yes, they were amazed.
01:12 They were wanting to go to some of the places that I went.
01:16 But no one expected he'd end up here.
01:21 (upbeat music)
01:23 And Isabelle sure didn't expect her dad
01:42 to end up here either.
01:44 (upbeat music)
02:11 Jesse told us words could not describe the joy he felt
02:16 when he saw her.
02:17 I was amazed because I wouldn't expect it to go that way,
02:21 but it definitely surprised me
02:23 after being away for so long.
02:25 When I watched the video,
02:26 I got a chance to see how her mouth dropped
02:27 and how surprised she was.
02:29 Great opportunity to spend time with her on her birthday,
02:38 to make some memories.
02:40 Because after that day,
02:42 I was told that she now became
02:45 one of the most popular girls in school
02:46 because of her dad,
02:48 the soldier that came home and surprised her.
02:51 (Jesse laughs)
02:56 (audience applauds)