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Stevie and Owen, whose parents asked that his last name not be used, had not seen each other in two years, since before the start of the coronavirus pandemic, according to Stroud.

Their last visit in-person visit was in 2019, when the Stroud family traveled to Missouri to visit Owen and his family, who had recently moved there from Chicago.

\"Within six months or so of them moving away, Stevie said what he wanted for his birthday was to see Owen, so we surprised him with a visit,\" said Stroud. \"Then COVID happened, and we weren’t able to visit more like we would have.\"

The two friends have been staying in touch during the pandemic by phone, FaceTime and video games, according to Stroud.

\"PHOTO:
Courtesy Diane Stroud
PHOTO: Diane Stroud's son Stevie, right, has been best friends with Owen since kindergarten.
>
\"PHOTO:
Courtesy Diane Stroud
PHOTO: Diane Stroud's son Stevie, right, has been best friends with Owen since kindergarten.
>

Owen recently told his parents that what he wanted for his birthday was to surprise Stevie, so the two sets of parents spoke and took safety precautions amid the ongoing pandemic to be able to make the surprise happen.

\"It was a complete surprise (for Stevie),\" said Stroud. \"You see this sense of relief and joy because all he wanted was to see his best friend, and vice versa.\"

\"PHOTO:
Courtesy Diane Stroud
PHOTO: Stevie Stroud, 11, of Chicago, breaks down in tears during a surprise visit from his best friend, Owen.
>

The video of the emotional reunion quickly went viral on Facebook, where Stroud said she has received messages from strangers across the country.

\"I have gotten numerous messages from all over the country that said things like, 'Thank you for posting this. It made my day,'\" said Stroud. \"It reminded people of having friendships as kids.\"

\"It’s been really wonderful,\" she said of the reaction.

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