A three-year-old girl who had never been apart from her father before couldn’t hide her excitement when he returned from Navy basic training and A School after three months to surprise her.
It was the longest period Tuyen Nguyen, 30, had ever been away from his daughter, Lianne, who adores her father and thinks of him as her best friend.
In the emotional video, shot by Lianne’s mom, Kim Pham, 32, the three-year-old is initially seen sitting on her family’s couch in Houston, Texas.
Lianne was expecting a gift that day, and when the doorbell rang, she headed over to see who it was.
There, she found Tuyen, dressed in full naval attire.
At that point, Lianne couldn’t hide her joy at the familiar face staring back at her, heading over to her father for a long-awaited hug.
The moment took place on December 16, and in the build-up to Christmas, Kim said all Lianne had wanted was for her father to return home.
She added: “They have never ever been apart since Lianne was born, and because he was in basic training, she didn’t have a chance to talk to him, as he called home couple of times, but I was at work.
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“She was asking for her daddy almost every day, and she said that she was proud of him.
“The moment itself was overwhelming, full of joy and happiness – I have never seen her happy and excited like that.
“That moment is something that I wouldn’t trade anything for.
“It hurts so bad to see them being apart.”
