A 12-year-old burst into tears of joy when his dad surprised him by travelling across the country to watch him play basketball for the first time.
Harvey Ray, who lives in Kerrville, Texas, has always dreamed of having his dad, Allen, watch him play, but geography and timing always made things difficult.
Allen and Harvey’s mom, Kristina, separated when Harvey was 18 months old, and the pair have since kept a close and supportive relationship for their kids.
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Kristina, 37, moved to be closer to her family in Texas, while Allen is currently based in South Carolina, more than 1000 miles away.
As a result, Harvey has visited his father on a number of occasions, but his one dream was for his dad to watch him play basketball where he is based.
And so, Kristina, 37, and Allen, 38, secretly liaised and split the flight cost for Allen to travel to Texas.
On February 22, Allen snuck into the gymnasium where his son was warming up, making sure Harvey’s back was turned as he entered.
After Allen called out his name, Harvey turned and froze in complete shock, with his jaw dropped, before heading over to his dad for a long-awaited hug and bursting into tears on his shoulder.
Kristina said: “My entire family was there to welcome him and watch Harvey’s reaction – we all knew he would be shocked, which he clearly was.
“We snuck Harvey’s dad in as he was warming up for one of his last games for the season and made sure his back was turned.
“Harvey was shocked, then his shock quickly turned into tears of joy and everyone – including me – was crying right along with him.
“Love your child more than you hate your ex, the children are the most important thing – and co-parenting is beautiful when done correctly.”
