For Matt Cobrink, 53, the only thing that could surpass flying across the country to meet Aaron Judge, his favorite baseball player, was reuniting with his own 88-year-old father at the airport upon returning home.
Matt, who lives with Down syndrome, flew with his sister, Janet, from their home in Los Angeles to meet the New York Yankees star and catch some Major League Baseball action. It was a fantastic trip, but all everyone is talking about is Matt’s heartwarming reaction to seeing his father again after being away for five days.
According to Matt’s sister, Marcy Cobrink Mayer, Matt has rarely been separated from his father since his mother passed away 25 years ago.
So, it’s no wonder Matt ran toward his father and showered him with love and kisses.
Lucky for us, Marcy caught the reunion on video, which has garnered more than 21 million views since she posted it on Facebook.
“I expect that kind of reaction from him,” she said of her brother to People. “Sometimes I won’t see him for a few days, and then I’ll go to his house or my dad will bring him over here, and he will kiss me like 20 times. He’s just really very loving and happy to see everybody!”
The clip’s popularity has sparked others to reach out to Marcy and express their appreciation for the video.
“People all over the world were sending me pictures of their children with Down Syndrome, telling me that it made them cry, that they’re so happy to see such a long, loving relationship between my father and my brother,” Marcy explained to MSN. “It gives them hope for their children or they have a cousin who has Down Syndrome. And that it’s so nice to see something that’s happy instead of things that are negative.”
And, it’s fair to say that with an extra chromosome comes extra love.
