My Favorite Soldier - Update

Back in February, I wrote about my favorite soldier.  You can read it here.  If you haven't already read it, you might want to real quick before reading any further.  He's still stationed in Fairbanks, AK, where cell phone coverage is beyond sketchy and he SUCKS at keeping in touch.  But I know he's busy doing an important job, so I'll forgive him.

For those of you that already read the previous post, you'll remember this:

"He was a single dad that only really got to spend time with his daughter during the summer...and has a son he's never met (not for a lack of trying on his part)."

Just to give you all a little background.  When I met Sparky, his 6 year old daughter was up here for the summer and he'd just found out he had a son...who was 3 years old and if I remember correctly, had been told his daddy was dead.  He'd had a "brief" relationship with the mother, that obviously ended before she knew she was pregnant.  She hadn't bothered to track him down any time during her pregnancy or the first 3 years of their son's life...but now she wanted child support.

Over the past 7-8 years, Sparky has tried to track down his son (we'll call him D) and tried to fight for at least visitation, but with zero funds and living in another state, that was a never ending uphill battle.  Since he's been in the army and getting his finances in order (all the while paying child support), he'd hired a lawyer in Florida and had come in contact with D's other grandmother on Facebook.  

Within 24 hours of him getting back to Alaska back in Jan. 2011, after visiting his daughter B in Jacksonville, FL and being here in Georgia for an extended visit before shipping out to Afghanistan, he got a message from D's mom on FB.  Basically she said that if he was gonna be in the area any time before shipping out, she'd let him meet D...so that if anything happened while Sparky was gone, it wouldn't be on her conscience.  You wanna talk about breaking a man's heart?  Had she sent that message 2-3 days earlier, he could've met his son!!  But, he did get to finally talk to him on the phone before he left....which was more than he'd dared to dream about.

Now Sparky is back in Alaska, which is hard for me to refer to as stateside...considering it feels like he's 2 worlds away.  This past spring I got the news that his daughter B was moving out there with him temporarily, to see how it goes.  He'd ALWAYS dreamed of having her full time, but it was NEVER a possibility before he joined the army.  Since moving up there, she's brought her grades up dramatically and is trying out for the cheer squad next week.

Again, our communication has been extremely less than desirable.  I'm basically limited to when he's traveling to be able to get in touch with him.  So, while I was on vacation 2 weeks ago, I kept seeing him updating his status on FB about his surgery.  HUH?!?!  Surgery?!?!  So I sent him a text immediately saying "Huh? Surgery? You could call a hooker back ya know...or at least respond on FB!!"  My phone rang instantly...because he thought I called him a hooker!!  Of course his timing sucked...we were in the middle of a packed Baskin Robbins in Ft. Walton Beach and I really didn't think he'd call so quickly.

That call almost brought me to my knees.  Nothing like not hearing from someone for weeks and then having several bombs dropped on you...BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!  He tells me that they're in Anchorage for 5 days because they found a mass in his back and they had gone in that day to do a biopsy...and results would take 2 weeks to come back.  BOOM!!  Then he tells me that he'll be in Jacksonville for a hearing the end of July and that hopefully he'll be bringing D back to Alaska with him.  BOOM!!!  B finished the year off with a 3.7 GPA and is staying in Alaska...BOOM!!!

Monday, I sent him a text asking if he'd gotten the biopsy results back and when court was.  No answer, no answer...then today I get picture of him and D TOGETHER!!! And the words "No cancer and court is right now."  Seriously Sparky, your communication skills are gonna give me a heart attack one of these days.   He called me 45 minutes later...SOBBING!!  "I got my boy!! E, I have both of my kids."  By this time I'm in tears and covered in goose bumps.   


Sparky will be taking his son back to Fairbanks on Saturday.  Please pray for D to have a smooth transition in adjusting to all of these changes.  He's leaving behind 5 other siblings, that at this moment are in foster care.  He's never been to a dentist.  Sparky took him to the mall and Golden Corral for the first time yesterday and you would've thought it was Disney World.  This poor child has been through hell and back...and is EXACTLY where he needs to be.  Words can't even begin to describe the joy and happiness I'm feeling right now.  D, I love your daddy.  He's a good man and he loves you so much.  And I can't wait to finally get to meet you myself some day.


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