A high school basketball player’s jaw dropped in shock when she headed into her team’s huddle and discovered her soldier brother standing in the center.
Anthony Klinekole, 24, shares a close bond with his sister, Arielle Ward, 17, and so he was determined to make it home to Mescalero, New Mexico, for her senior night game.
A specialist with the United States Army, Anthony is based in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and hadn’t seen his sister for a couple of months before optimistically requesting leave to travel home.
His mom, Ihleen, 42, said she and her son weren’t expecting the surprise to happen, but after his leave was indeed approved, Anthony prepared to travel home on February 14 for the big surprise.
Having been collected from the airport, Anthony then headed to Ruidoso High School, where Arielle’s coach assisted with the surprise.
Arielle’s teammates all huddled around Anthony as she headed out onto the court – then, when she was nearby, they all separated, revealing her brother in military uniform.
As soon as Arielle saw Anthony standing there, her jaw dropped, and she froze on the spot in shock, before she entered the huddle, where she gave Anthony a much-needed and emotional hug.
Ihleen, who captured the moment on video, said: “Anthony and Arielle have always shared a special brother-sister bond from the moment Arielle was born.
“As they grew up, their bond became stronger and stronger.
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“Upon arrival at the gym, Coach advised that they would have Anthony come in and have the team gather around him, and when Arielle came out, they would all move and there he would be.
“It was such a bittersweet moment but this was a great surprise on a special night of hers – I was crying the whole time.
“After the surprise, Coach and the team invited Anthony into their huddle for their prayer before the game, which was very special.
