A Sergent with the National Guard in Afghanistan had just landed in Philadelphia from Kuwait when poor weather started delaying and grounding flights.
Sgt. Seth Craven was traveling from the other side of the world home in an effort to witness the birth of his son when the storm delayed the last leg of his flight home to Charleston, West Virginia.
With all of the flight delays, Sgt. Craven was running out of time and options , as previous delays in the day caused passengers who came before him to claim all the rental cars, so there were none left.
However, with people overhearing the predicament as the Sgt. worked to figure out his options, learning he didn’t have any left, a compassionate fellow passenger offered caught wind of the story and offered to help.
Charlene Vickers and some acquaintances were on their way to Charleston, WV for a health conference when there flight was delayed as well.
Thing is, Charlene is from the Philly area, so her vehicle was already at the airport waiting for a road trip.
As Charlene told WV Metro News, “They kind of pointed to this gentlman and said that ‘poor soul really needs to get back . . . That’s when I introduced myself and said, ‘I’m getting to West Virginia tonight, come hell or high water. So are you willing to join this crazy party of ours?'”
Without waiting for his baggage, the Sgt. hopped in Charlene’s ride with the rest of the group and they made their way to West Virginia, eight hours away.
Sgt. Craven was dropped off at his house a little after midnight and was able to be at his wife’s bedside a few hours later that morning when their son Cooper was born.
“If it wasn’t for Charlene, I never would have made it. All [Charlene] wanted in return was a picture of the baby,” the new father tells their local news outlet.
