Deployed dad surprises family, meets baby for the first time
NEW YORK -- A first-time mother got the surprise of a lifetime when her deployed husband surprised her live on television and met his infant daughter for the very first time.
On "Good Morning America" Friday morning, Cassie Whelan was told that her husband, Sgt. Josh Sarpu, was coming to her live via Skype from a military base in Texas. Sarpu, a medevac crew chief for the National Guard, was called to serve in Iraq a year ago. At the time of his deployment, Whelan was six months pregnant with their first child.
Whelan and her young daughter stood before a large video screen with a live feed of Sarpu, who said he was excited to meet his daughter for the first time when he returned home in a few days.
"It's been a long time coming. I can't say anything more than that I love you so much, honey," Sarpu said. "Thank you for everything you do. Thank you for taking care of the baby."
"You know what -- can we move the wall?" a visibly emotional Sarpu asked, and the wall in front of Whelan cleared the stage to reveal Sarpu standing behind.
Sarpu and Whelan then tearfully hugged, and Sarpu got to hold his daughter for the first time.
"I thought I would spend [Mother's Day] alone," Whelan said. "It's going to be even better now."
"I'm so thankful that everything worked out and everybody came together," Sarpu added.
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ABC News contributed to this report.
