Special Birthday Wish Comes True For 10-Year-Old Baltimore Boy

BALTIMORE (WJZ)-- A secret surprise for one boy celebrating his birthday brings a soldier home to Baltimore.

As Gigi Barnett explains, his father traveled a long way to fulfill a special wish.

Today is Jalen White's birthday. He turns 10, and it wasn't going so well. He really missed his dad, until this:

"How you doing? You good? You good? Are you happy I came?"

Staff Sgt. Alvin White took two planes and a rental car from Fort Jackson in South Carolina to get to Northwood Elementary in Baltimore.

He gets the next four days off for his son's birthday, which by the way, is much brighter now.

"He probably had a case of the birthday blues," Alvin White said.

But Jalen White isn't Staff Sgt. Alvin White's only child at Northwood. He has two others. So, the secret surprise moved to 4-year-old Justin White's pre-K class.

"Does anyone know this person? I do! It's my dad!" Justin White exclaimed.

The boys have only seen their father once since he deployed to Afghanistan two years ago.

"I've been on four deployments. I missed birthdays. It's been rough," Alvin White said.

But he's here now. And there's one more person to surprise-- 10-year-old Breon White.

Breon White: "Daddy! Daddy!
Alvin White: "Hey Bre!"

As for Jalen White, this birthday surprise is sweet.

"My Dad is here," he said.

The next step now-- a four-day birthday celebration. But just as their father's visit was a surprise, that too must remain a secret.

The children's grandmother and their principal were in on the surprise.