VIDEO: Army mom surprises 2 kids at Long Beach elementary school
LONG BEACH, Long Island (WABC) -- A U.S. soldier based overseas who hadn't seen her young children since Thanksgiving had a chance to give them a mother's love -- in person.
Army Sgt. Shanasia Lowe was able to make a quick stop in New York during a brief layover Friday, giving her two kids a surprise that might last forever.
The moment came during circle time at East Elementary School in Long Beach on Long Island.
Third-grader Ja'Mell Jones was joined by his 4-year-old sister, Jai'liyah Gaines, and the two leaped for joy when they saw their mom walk into the room.
Watch the raw video of the reunion here:
Little Jai'Liyah buried her face in her mom's shoulder, while Ja'Mell gave her a card.
Army Sgt. Shanasia Lowe is stationed 6,300 miles away in Germany. She had just a 4-hour slot to be with them.
"That was the longest I could get a layover for," Sgt. Lowe said. "I haven't seen them in 6 months. Today, I was excited. It's hard, a lot of times we do have to make sacrifices to protect our country."
Mother's Day came a little sooner and the celebration might be a little shorter, but this special day is one they will all be holding onto.
