SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — More than one and a half million children whose parents are in the military face struggles in their life due to their parent's service to our country, according to the defense department.
Spread across a table are special memories Savannah has made with her dad between deployments.
"You know, our dads miss milestones; they miss holidays. My dad missed a lot of holidays," said Savannah.
Savanah's dad is a Navy SEAL; due to safety, we've blurred his face and are withholding the family's last name.
"Being able to tell kids my dad is a Navy SEAL is one of the greatest things I've ever experienced. I'm super proud of him. It basically makes him a superhero," said Savannah.
Savannah's dad has been deployed to the Middle East five times since she was four.
Her mom, Candace, calls her and her sister resilient.
"I had a very seasoned Navy spouse speak to me when Savannah was in kindergarten, and I think what she told me has stuck, and I've tried to be mindful of it. She was a kindergarten teacher and said, kids, reflect what you project," said Candace.
Savannah is heading to college next semester to swim for the University of Wyoming, but her success didn't come easily.
Savanah's mom has relied on the Navy SEAL Foundation for support…from community to education.
"The Navy Seal Foundation has offered tutoring, especially when my father was deployed, and I needed help with my homework, but my mom was busy," said Savannah.
Her mom said that while tutoring might seem small, the ripple effect is undeniable.
"My husband, while he was deployed, was still very involved in my children's lives, and so it's, ' Hey, Savannah is falling behind in math, so we're going to start going twice a week. The navy seal foundation is paying for that.' It takes that stress off of him. He knows his kids aren't going to fall behind academically," said Candace.
Candace encourages spouses to know what resources are available to them.
Savannah is now ahead in her studies, graduating high school with an associate degree and a scholarship from the Navy Seal Foundation.
The Foundation also gives Savannah and her younger sister opportunities like their princess and a frog-daddy-daughter dance to connect with her dad or, as she calls him, a superhero.
"It's a special event because it's just the dads and the daughters. None of the wives are there, none of the sons are there. It's just a special event that we as daughters get," said Savannah.
The Navy Seal Foundation runs off of donor support.
