He's half a world away, but modern technology lets a military dad look in on his son's MacDill birthday party.
By JAY CRIDLIN
Published April 3, 2003
BRANDON - Andrew smiled as he blew out the candles on his birthday cake Wednesday afternoon.
Halfway around the world, from a military base in the Middle East, his daddy smiled with him.
It was the birthday gift of a lifetime for Andrew. Through a video teleconferencing network at the MacDill Family Resource Center in Brandon, he was able to spend his fourth birthday with his father Jeff, who is serving in the desert.
"He needed that special connection with his dad," said Andrew's mom, Brenda. "He told his teachers today, "I get to see my daddy today on TV!' "
Jeff was able to see and talk to his wife, Brenda; his mother Jody; and his three children, Andrew; Rebecca, 5; and Heidi, 22 months. The family's last name is being withheld because of military security policy.
The family hadn't seen Jeff since he left for the Middle East in January.
He and Brenda e-mail nightly, and he calls about every 10 days. The family gave him some disposable cameras to send home, but he hasn't used them up yet.
Frank Suitor, director of the MacDill Family Resource Center, said the video link gave the children an opportunity to see firsthand that their daddy was safe.
"It's a great opportunity to serve," Suitor said. "That's what it's all about."
For a while, it looked as if the link wasn't going to happen. For about 30 minutes, the family waited while Suitor tried to establish a connection.
"I was getting nervous," Brenda said. "They were very excited. They had been building it up. They really wanted to see him."
After eight unsuccessful tries, the family finally made the connection. "Thank you, Jesus," Suitor sighed, handing the phone to Brenda.
Suitor said Wednesday's connection was one of the most difficult the center has tried since the video phone system went into regular use two weeks ago.
The problem, Suitor later explained, was that Jeff had moved the phone from one extension at his base to another in order to have a little privacy with his family.
When Jeff and Brenda were finally hooked up, though, privacy didn't matter. Jeff talked to all three children, asking Andrew about his birthday and hearing Heidi say "Da-da" for the first time. Rebecca told him about the family's birthday plans - dinner at Olive Garden, where she planned to order "plain noodles" - and about her school dance recital.
"He said he was excited," Rebecca said. "My mom will videotape it so once he gets home, my mommy can show him. And we can eat popcorn."
The video phone only cost about $400, but Suitor said he can't put a price on moments like those.
"There was a little guy here this morning who had a tooth missing," he said. "He goes up to the camera and pulls his lip down: "See daddy? My tooth is gone!' And daddy, the next time it updates, has a big smile on his face."
Brenda said they hope to use the video phone again before Heidi's second birthday in June.
"I love you," she told Jeff as she hung up the phone. "We'll talk to you again soon."
[Last modified April 3, 2003, 02:44:42]
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