Navy recruit surprises sister at elementary school ahead of the holidays
By Caroline Hecker
Click here for updates on this story
ST. LOUIS (KMOV) — Excitement was building inside the walls of Frohardt Elementary School in Granite City with a red carpet featuring Santa and teachers dawned in ugly Christmas sweaters.
Third grader Isabella Goodson traded in her front row seat to become one of Santa’s elves. Her Christmas list this year was short.
“Dear Santa, I wish my brother Austin from the Navy was here,” Isabella said.
18-year-old Austin Bartlett joined the Navy in June just weeks after graduating from Granite City High School and hadn’t seen his sister since then. He returned home recently and decided to surprise her at school while dressed up as Santa.
Isabella walked right by her brother at the end of the runway, unable to believe what she was seeing.
“I’m walking right past him going like, ‘what’s going on?’ And then when I heard his voice,. It was like, ‘He’s really here,’” Isabella said.
Despite their 10-year age difference, the pair exchange letters and phone calls while Austin is gone. But nothing beats being together in person.
“You learn to live by yourself really quick, but I think the hardest part was week three or four of boot camp, being away from home and homesickness really sets in,” Bartlett said.
They’ll make the most of their time together before Bartlett returns to military school in South Carolina. It’s a change Isabella is still getting used to.
“It’s sometimes hard for me at school to know Austin isn’t here,” she said.
Isabella showed excitement after finding out her brother is staying for Christmas this year.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
