Veteran Takes Daughter of Deceased Marine to Daddy-Daughter Dance
Every little girl needs a father figure in her life. Whether that be a traditional dad, an uncle or even a close family friend, there is something to be said for a positive male role model.
Sadly, many military family children are left without a father. Many are killed while serving our country, and still many others come home and face a different kind of war.
This was the case for Khloe Braunstein’s father. When she was only 2 and a half years old her marine veteran dad took his life after suffering from PTSD.
“She was the apple of his eye. She was his whole world,” Khloe’s mom, Mary Braunstein, told KIVI-TV.
Though her dad could never be replaced, one man stepped in to help meet a huge need in Khloe’s life.
When fellow marine veteran Steve Exceen met Braunstein and her daughter, he was moved by how much she missed her dad. He later connected with Braunstein on Facebook.
With a father-daughter dance approaching, Exceen hoped he could get Braunstein’s blessing to take Khloe along.
“I was speechless, and then I started to cry,” Braunstein told KIVI-TV.
With Braunstein’s blessing and his daughter Sarai’s help, Exceen had everything in place. When he showed up to ask Khloe to the dance, she was thrilled.
In the end, she told her mom the night at the Ties and Tiaras dance was “epic.” Having been bullied at school for not having a dad of her own, getting a chance to go to her first ever father-daughter dance made a huge impact on Khloe.
“This will be a moment that I will forever cherish,” Exceen wrote on Facebook. With a girl on each arm, no doubt this veteran was the coolest guy in the room.
“I am forever grateful,” he wrote in a separate post. “Khloe changed my life. This also was a moment my amazing daughter will remember forever.
“I would of never in a million years thought sharing that video would of impacted so many people,” he added.
The original video Exceen posted has been shared over 12,000 times as of Wednesday morning. We’re so glad this trio had such a good time, and that Khloe and Sarai have become friends.
We salute this dad and all he stands for. Just as he and his daughter will remember this moment forever, we have a feeling Khloe and her mom won’t be forgetting it any time soon.
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