A boy gave his soldier dad who he sees as his hero a sweet surprise when he returned home by waiting for his father at the airport in a matching army uniform.
Ryan Bloomingdale, 45, a sergeant with the United States Army, from Flint, Michigan, wasn’t expecting his son, Johnny, 10, to be there waiting for him – let alone wearing an outfit to match his idol.
As soon as the pair clocked each other at Bishop Airport, Johnny, who was holding a sign saying, “Welcome Home Daddy,” ran into his father’s arms for a tearful hug.
Initially, Ryan had planned to surprise his son, but Johnny had other plans.
Ryan had previously bought Johnny a soldier’s uniform for Christmas, and so Ryan said to his mom, Mandy, 42, that he wanted to wear it to surprise his dad.
Ryan’s sister painted the welcome home sign, but because she was feeling ill, only Johnny and his mom headed to the airport, making up the welcome home surprise on the fly once they arrived.
Fortunately, Mandy captured the moment on video, which she later shared on her TikTok channel.
The reunion, on February 4, marked the end of a 47-day separation for the pair, as Ryan had been away on a leadership course.
Mandy said the reunion came at the end of a difficult few years for the family, as Ryan was previously hospitalized with COVID and spent 16 days on a ventilator.
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Mandy had battled with cancer during that time, she added, and so the family wanted to share Johnny’s reunion with his hero father as a brighter point.
The clip, posted on social media, received over half a million views and a number of loving responses.
Mandy said: “Johnny had an extremely difficult time being away from Ryan and mentioned he wanted to surprise his daddy and wear the uniform when he came back.
“We did just that – Ryan thought we would be picking him up from the curb, but we met him in the baggage area.
“Ryan was shocked, and Johnny was excited and so happy.
“We are extremely grateful for all the support.
“Choosing to hope when life is difficult and rising up in spite of the ache – it’s the resiliency of an American soldier, a true hero, and family’s love and faith that carried us.”