In 2017, Air Force Captain Dan Kelly learned he would be deployed to Syria for 6 months. Although it was only a short spread, Captain Kelly’s wife Barbara said their 5-year-old son Brian took it too badly.
As Brian counted the days until his father returned from Syria, he asked his neighbor, Dean Cravens, if he could help with the garden around the Cravens’ house.
When Brian asked Dean if he could help him with the outdoor chores, Dean was a little worried, feeling that he shouldn’t have a kid to do his yard work for him.
When Brian explains that he enjoys working in the yard with his father and misses him very much, Dean immediately feels sympathy for the little boy and the two go to get some tools.
Since then, Brian and Dean have become good friends, mowing the lawn together and doing other outdoor errands. Barbara is so grateful that Dean has become a father figure to her young son. While the two knew each other before Dan’s post, Brian and Dean have become inseparable since working together overseas.
Speaking with ABC News, Barbara says Dean never turns Brian down when he wants to go out and do chores. Barbara also says young Brian loves working overseas and the John Deere brand in particular. Prior to its publication, Brian gifted his dad a John Deere shirt that he wears regularly on video calls.
When Brian and Dean’s story went viral on social media, reporters asked Dean why he spent so much time with Brian, noting that he had his own family and worked full time.
Dean jokes that while he can find lots of other things to do, he thinks spending time with Brian is important because it makes the little boy smile and happy.
When Dan returned from Syria, he thanked Dean for looking for his son while serving his country. It made Dan especially happy that his son had such a positive role model in his life.
As Brian now wanders after Dan in his yard, Dean promises Brian can come to his house anytime the little boy needs anything.
In short, Brian and Dean’s story shows that one person doesn’t have to do much to help the families of those serving in the military. When Dan goes overseas, Dean becomes a father figure to Brian, bringing joy to the young boy’s life.
