An emotional teen ran from her flag football game in tears of happiness when she was surprised by her soldier brother, who she’d not seen in two years.
Brielle Von Colln, 17, from Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, shares an incredibly close bond with her brother, Eric, 21, a corporal with the United States Army.
The pair have always had each other’s backs, Brielle said, but with Eric now being based overseas, the past few years have been tough for the siblings.
Eric left the United States four years ago, and it had been two years since he last saw Brielle when he started working on the surprise.
Having been granted leave, Eric turned to his father to help plan his surprise reunion.
On March 27, during his sister’s flag football game at high school, Eric waited in the end zone for his sister to catch his eye.
When Brielle saw her brother’s face, her mind immediately said “run,” and she sprinted towards her sibling in tears for an emotional reunion hug.
Brielle and Eric’s mom, Heather, captured the surprise reunion on video, with the clip later garnering millions of views online.
The surprise was not the only one Eric planned when he returned home, either.
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He also shocked his cousin Sydnie and his grandma Connie – with both surprises also being captured on video.
Speaking of her surprise, Brielle said: “My brother and I have always had each other’s backs.
“Our bond is something truly special – built on unwavering support, love, and understanding.
“My flag football coach helped distract me until my brother made it to the other side of the field.
“That’s when I turned around and saw him standing in the end zone.
“Seeing him in the end zone when I turned around didn’t even feel real – especially since the last thing I heard was that he couldn’t come home for block leave due to something that had happened.
“In that moment, a wave of emotions hit me all at once.
“I was in complete shock, and the only thought in my mind was, ‘Run.’
“And that’s exactly what I did.”
