The first introduction between an uncle and his niece has melted hearts across the internet.
Faye Barr (@fayebarr6) captured her 2-year-old daughter Ziyah getting out of the car and running over to her uncle Kurtis, who had just returned home after living in Australia for eight years.
"Ziyah can be really shy and awkward with new people, but she ran straight into her uncle's arms," Faye told Newsweek. "It's like she knew he was a part of the family."
The first meeting took place at Faye's mother's home in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, following an exhausting journey that saw Kurtis travel from Sydney to Los Angeles, then Dallas, on to Dublin, before completing a two-hour drive north.
It was the first time the siblings had seen each other in nearly a decade -- and the first time Kurtis had met his niece and nephew in person.
Faye wrote on the text overlay: "Proof that FaceTime matters. First time meeting her uncle after eight years in Australia."
She explained that her brother had moved to Australia 12 years ago and now lives near Bondi Beach in Sydney. Having recently secured permanent residency, his life is firmly rooted there for the foreseeable future.
During that time, Faye built her own family back home in Northern Ireland, giving birth to Ziyah and her older brother, Ziggy, now 5 years old.
Raising children far from close family, Faye said, required deliberate effort. Her children spoke to their uncle over FaceTime two to three times a week -- and the consistency appeared to pay off.
"They knew who he was and were so excited for him to come home, mainly because they knew he had a bag full of toys," Faye laughed.
Faye and her mom 58-year-old Karen were both stunned by Ziyah's reaction. Showing no hesitation, she ran straight into Kurtis’s arms and remained glued to his side for the rest of his visit.
"The day he flies back to Australia will break all our hearts as it's back to depending on FaceTime," Faye said.
Faye posted the moment of the pair met in a clip on TikTok, which has clocked up over 472,000 views.
In the comments, many other users agreed that video calls can play an important role in developing foundations between young children and their distant relatives.
"Seeing her run to him and hug him must have filled your brother's heart with so much love and joy after all these years," one user wrote.
"FaceTime is a critical tool for me to remain connected to my grandkids who live 6,000km away," one user wrote.
Alongside FaceTime calls with her brother in Australia, Faye’s children also maintain a relationship with their Portuguese grandmother, who lives in Lisbon. Distance, she believes, does not have to mean detachment.
Her message to other parents is to make the effort. “It makes such a huge difference and enables the to grow a relationship even though they can’t see each other for long periods of time,” Faye said. “It’s so important to grow a bond with the ones who are far away.”