LYNN — Seven-year-old Nathen Melendez Ortega didn’t think his big sister, Navy Seaman Amy Melendez Ortega, would be able to make it home for Christmas this year.
The two hadn’t seen one another since last May, so when she surprised him by sneaking in as Nathen sat with his class in the cafeteria of Robert L. Ford elementary school Thursday afternoon, the second-grader was speechless.
Words didn’t seem necessary, however, as he hugged his sister tightly for several minutes, burying his head in her shirt, before finally pulling away with tears in his eyes.
Amy, who is currently stationed in Coronado, Calif., has only been home twice since she was first deployed in August 2018. Both she and the siblings’ mother, Reina Ortega, agreed the separation has been hard on Nathen, who misses his sister.
“I visited for Christmas (last year), but I didn’t get to spend a lot of time with him, and I came back in May for my birthday, but again, we didn’t spend a lot of time together,” 19-year-old Amy said. “So I decided to surprise him.”
She added: “My mom told him that I couldn’t come home because I was going to be somewhere else.”
Nathen’s teacher, Katelyn Boaman, smiled as she watched the touching scene. She said Nathen, whom she described as “well-behaved and super smart,” talks about his sister frequently and added that it was a treat for the class to be able to witness the moment.
“This is great,” she said. “It’s really nice for the (kids) to be able to see this and understand that she’s protecting our country.”
The school allowed Nathen to be dismissed early so that the family could spend the rest of the day together. When asked if he was excited to have his sister home, Nathen nodded.
“I love her,” he said.
