A pair of siblings ran into their father’s arms when he returned home to surprise them after 10 days away fixing the devastation Hurricane Helene caused in his state.
For Liam Barbour, aged four, and his sister Emerlyn, two, the time they were apart from Jeremiah, 44, felt like an eternity, given the lack of contact they could have due to the nature of Jeremiah’s work.
After Helene ripped through North Carolina, Jeremiah, a substation construction worker and lineman from Kenly, North Carolina, was called to help restore power to other parts of North Carolina.
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Jeremiah worked 16-hour days, his wife, Samantha, 35, said, and because cell service was so poor, the family didn’t have many opportunities to connect while he was away.
It was during this time, too, that Liam started playing local T-ball matches, wondering why his dad wasn’t able to attend his games.
And so, when Jeremiah was given the news he was set to head home on October 8, he knew he had to plan a big surprise for his kids.
At their daycare, Emerlyn was called inside to find her dad waiting while Liam ran from his play area to jump into his dad’s arms.
Samantha captured videos of her beaming kids’ reactions, which she then shared on social media, which she had been using to raise awareness for her husband’s vital work.
She said: “Seeing the kids’ reaction to their daddy coming home is something I really can’t put into words.
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“I was thankful because the work they do is very dangerous even in great conditions.
“It’s one of those careers that really is not thought of or recognized until a hurricane or a storm comes through.
“It’s dangerous and stressful and they work such long hours they are exhausted, but they have to because it’s not just about restoring power, it’s also saving the lives of people who function off oxygen, for example.
“So, we are very blessed.
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“It’s a great lesson for us all to learn from.
“Our sadness was just minimal compared to what people from the western part of the state were feeling.
“It was special for me to be able to teach our kids that their daddy was able to help other people.”