Sgt. Seth Craven was excited to fly home from Afghanistan so he could witness the birth of his first born.
His wife Julie was scheduled to have a cesarean section on Friday at 5:30 a.m. More than enough time to get back to Charleston, West Virginia. Seth arrived in Philadelphia on Monday with another flight Wednesday so he could get home but storms canceled the flight.
Pressed for time, he took the delayed flight Thursday morning. Only to have the flight delayed due to maintenance issues.
“They just kept pushing it and pushing it,” Seth said. “If they had canceled from the beginning, I would have found a way home somehow. It would have given me more time to figure stuff out.”
Seth couldn’t get a rental car either. He was stuck and feeling hopeless.
His troubles spread in the airport until Charlene Vickers, programs director for AmeriHealth Caritas Partnership. She was on her way to Charleston with colleagues and they had a car.
Charlene soon got to chatting with Seth, then offered him a ride.
She told him, “I’m getting to West Virginia tonight, come hell or high water. So are you willing to join this crazy party of ours?”
Seth immediately jumped in, leaving his suitcases on the plane for the 8 hour drive.
And Julie, already in the hospital was hoping Seth would make it. Seth was prepared for anything, even disappointment, but he was now determined thanks to Charlene’s help.
Seth arrived after midnight, just hours before his wife’s surgery.
“He came in and pretty much fell to his knees, put his head on my belly, put his hands around my belly, and was in tears,” she said. “And I thought, ‘Thank God you’re finally here. We’ll be able to do this together.’”
Cooper was born on Friday morning weighing 9 pounds, 8 ounces.
“Everybody tells you how important that is [being there for your baby’s birth] and how big of a deal that is and you don’t understand until you’re there in that moment,” Seth said.
Seth and Julie were beyond grateful to Charlene for her selflessness and kindness.
“Luckily we had a healthy little boy, and mom’s healthy. If it wasn’t for Charlene I never would have made it,” Seth said. “All she wanted in return was pictures of the baby.”
Seth and Julie have remained friends with Charlene. It’s a story that’s inspired hope in many others. They were also featured on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” in 2020 where Charlene finally met Cooper.
“Thank you. I mean, you’re an angel,” Julie said. “You literally changed our lives with this moment. For me and Seth both to be able to experience this — he’s my best friend, I love him more than anything … it’s a bigger moment than you realize until you’re in it. It’s something you never want to miss.”
It’s people like Charlene who make the world a better place. Let’s hope others follow her example.
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