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After the birth, Cassie Whelan immediately put up pictures of Sarpu all over the baby's crib in the hospital.

\"She wanted everyone to know who the father was, and she wanted Savanna to see him … even though she was just born,\" Fuschetti said.

Fuschetti added that facing motherhood by herself also made Cassie Whelan stronger, saying, \"She made sure to jump right into it and devote everything to Savanna.\"

When, at just 4 months old, Savanna faced a medical crisis and her eyes became swollen shut, Cassie Whelan's brother Sean Whelan said, \"I think that hit her the most with Josh not being there.\"

Still, \"she just didn’t let it break her,\" he added, and Savanna ended up making a full recovery.

She also spent every day working to keep their daughter connected to her father, even while he's thousands of miles away.

View this post on Instagram

These two make me so happy. I’ve been blessed with two angels in my life that always make me smile. I couldn’t imagine my world without them. Thank for always making me smile and happy. I love you both so much. Thank you Cassie for all the hard work you do and always being there for me and Savannah xoxoxoxoxo. I can’t wait to come home and hold you both ❤️❤️😍😘😍❤️❤️😍😘

A post shared by Josh Sarpu (@joshsarpu) on Nov 24, 2018 at 5:33am PST

She even plays back recordings of Sarpu's voice when Savanna cries, and it will often make her stop.

In honor of Mother's Day, Cassie Whelan's closest friends and family say they want her to know how proud they are of her.

\"We're here for her and couldn’t be prouder,\" Sean Whelan said.

Fuschetti added, \"I'm proud of Cassie cause she’s such a strong and independent mom.\"

\"She and Savanna are two peas in a pod,\" she said.

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