Soldier deployed in the Middle East makes surprise trip home to meet newborn daughter

On October 24, Sergeant John Vorrath watched his daughter Charlotte’s birth via FaceTime.

Vorrath was deployed in the Middle East and, knowing that being granted leave was unlikely, didn’t expect to meet her in person for another 6 months.

While Vorrath was watching the C-section online, however, his commander passed him a note: His request for leave had been granted.

“[While] I was FaceTiming with my wife during the surgery, I got a note that said ‘Your leave has been approved, buy a plane ticket as soon as possible.’ We were minutes away from our daughter being born, and I decided it would be awesome to surprise my wife. I knew she wouldn’t expect it,” Vorrath told Yahoo Parenting.

Without telling his wife, Janae, Vorrath traveled 22 hours to the couple’s hometown of Ames, Iowa, to meet his newborn daughter.

The next day, Vorrath quietly entered Janae’s room at Mary Greeley Medical Center.

Janae’s tears of surprise at the hospital, Vorrath’s first moments with Charlotte, and his reunion with his 2-year-old son, Jett, was all captured on camera.

"I was shocked and stunned," Janae told TODAY.com about the surprise visit. “I’m not sure if I can put into words how special it was to share those first few days of our daughter’s life together, especially since we had prepared ourselves for him to not meet her until she was approximately six months old. But as her mom and his wife and in a very difficult time emotionally, it thrills my heart that he had the opportunity to meet her, hold her, kiss her, and that she’ll know the sound of his voice now.”

Vorrath spent one week with his young family before returning to the Middle East as a member of the Iowa Army National Guard for another six months.

"It felt surreal to have him back,: Janae told TODAY.com. “Everything about having him home has made him leaving again that much more heartbreaking. After having such major surgery, and having him here to take care of our kids and serve me and love me, it felt more like a dream than my reality.”

"I’m trying to give my wife as much rest as I can and serve her as much as I possibly can," Vorrath said of his short time home. “We’ve been trying to focus on her recovery, and on having family quality time together.”