A veteran grandfather battling severe illness insisted on rising from his bed and standing to welcome his Navy grandson home before sharing an emotional hug. Deshawn Liptrap, from Killeen, Texas, left for boot camp with the United States Navy in November 2023, and had been desperate to travel home to visit his sick grandpa, James, 75, a Vietnam veteran. James was diagnosed with cancer and Deshawn, having spent months in boot camp and then A School, was presented with a chance to return home after graduation, on May 2. Deshawn, 18, opted to head back to Texas right away, where he walked into his family home and surprised his grandpa, who was lying in bed. Upon seeing his grandson, a proud James made his way to the edge of his bed, before insisting on standing under his own strength. He and Deshawn then shared an emotional hug, which Deshawn felt extremely proud of, as during his time with the Navy he had dreamed of making his grandpa proud and seeing him one last time. Deshawn also paid surprise visits to his brother Damarion and grandma Woong, capturing all three moments on video. Having returned to base in Florida two weeks later, Deshawn was then given the sad news that, on May 30, James had passed away. By sharing the video of his grandpa's strength on social media, Deshawn hopes to inspire others and to honor his late grandpa.