Nick News with Linda Ellerbee Celebrates July 4th Weekend by Honoring Kids of U.S. Troops in Coming Home: When Parents Return from War Premiering July 6, at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon |
| Nick News with Linda Ellerbee presents Coming Home: When Parents Return From War, airing July 6th at 9 p.m. on Nickelodeon. (PRNewsFoto/Nickelodeon)
NEW YORK, NY UNITED STATES | |||
NEW YORK, June 17 /PRNewswire/ -- By the end of July, 20,000 U.S.
troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan will have come home -- and today
nearly half (43%) of all deployed U.S. troops are parents. Nick News with
Linda Ellerbee honors the bravery and sacrifices of those men and women by
honoring the bravery and sacrifices of their kids in a special, Coming
Home: When Parents Return from War premiering Sunday, July 6, at 9:00 p.m.
(ET/PT) on Nickelodeon.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080617/NYTU079 )
In Coming Home, viewers are introduced to kids from around the country
whose parents have been deployed. Says Michael, "When my stepdad went to
Iraq, half of my heart went with him." Says Emily, "I don't think anyone
who has a family member deployed really feels comfortable until the plane
hits the ground and they're back." Says Kris, "It was great to see him come
home and come through the door and be able to run up and give him a big
hug."
When parents go to war, their kids must be as brave as any soldier. But
what happens after the parent returns? "Soldiers have expectations about
what their kids are going to be like. Kids have expectations about what
their soldier-parents are going to be like. And they're all probably going
to be wrong," said Ellerbee.
The difference between expectation and reality means there are
adjustments to be made. Some are easy. Some are not. According to Lt. Gen.
William Caldwell, USA, some soldiers will have been so traumatized by their
experiences in Iraq or Afghanistan that at first they're going to be
emotionally unable to connect with their families. Coming Home: When
Parents Return from War, includes stories of kids who've had to take on
grownup responsibilities while a parent was deployed, kids whose parent has
returned suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), or from
physical wounds, and kids whose parent is not returning, ever.
"It's not like he's on a business trip and you know he'll always come
back," says Kayleigh. "When he's gone I feel guilty that I'm in this safe
environment while he's in this dangerous environment," says Ca'Bria. When
Kelli and Ethan's dad lost his leg while fighting in Iraq, his kids had to
deal with his anger issues too. "He would try to tell us things," said
Kelli, "and give commands like we were a soldier under him, but we were
just his kids."
One in five returning soldiers suffers from PTSD or depression. Carmen
and Sabrine's mother, Naomi, one of 300,000 women serving in the U.S.
military today, has been diagnosed with PTSD, which has affected her
daughters. Carmen says, "My mom being in Iraq changed her. She just seems
different ... I wish she was just mommy again."
Some kids are asked to make the ultimate sacrifice. Brenna and
Michael's dad was killed in Iraq in 2004. "When the doorbell rings and
there are three Marines," says Brenna, "you automatically know they're
going to tell you your dad died." Michael says, "I know my dad is in a
better place, but I wish he was still here because when he died, a chunk of
my heart was basically pulled out." Brenna says, "I think this experience
makes me value life even more because it's something that can be easily
taken away, so knowing -- having this experience -- really shows you what's
important in life."
And so, on this show, on this 4th of July weekend, Nick News takes the
opportunity to say to all the soldiers -- and all their families, "Thank
you."
Nick News, produced by Lucky Duck Productions, is now in its 18th year,
and is the longest-running kids' news show in television history. It has
built its reputation on the respectful and direct way it speaks to kids
about the important issues of the day. Over the years, Nick News has
received more than 20 Emmy nominations and numerous Emmy wins. Most
recently, in 2007, "Private Worlds: Kids and Autism" won the Emmy for
Outstanding Children's Programming. In 1994, the entire series, Nick News,
won the Emmy for Outstanding Children's Programming. In 1998, "What Are You
Staring At?" a program about kids with physical disabilities, won the Emmy
for Outstanding Children's Programming. In 2002, "Faces of Hope: The Kids
of Afghanistan," won the Emmy for Outstanding Children's Programming. In
2004, two Nick News Specials, "The Courage to Live: Kids, South Africa and
AIDS" and "There's No Place Like Home," a special about homeless kids in
America, were both nominated for the Outstanding Children's Programming
Emmy. In 2005, it won the Emmy for Outstanding Children's Programming for
its show, "From the Holocaust to the Sudan." Nick News is also the
recipient of three Peabody Awards, including a personal award given to
Ellerbee for her coverage for kids of the President Clinton investigation.
The series has also received two Columbia duPont Awards and more than a
dozen Parents' Choice Awards.
Nickelodeon, now in its 29th year, is the number-one entertainment
brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids
first in everything it does. The company includes television programming
and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer
products, online, recreation, books, magazines and feature films.
Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in more than 96 million
households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for more
than 13 consecutive years. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters
and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B).
SOURCE Nickelodeon
back to topRelated links:
Photo Notes:
NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080617/NYTU079
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org AP PhotoExpress
Network: PRN9 PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
CONTACT:
Jodi Davis, +1-212-846-5981,
Jodi.Davis@nick.com, or Rebecca Boswell, +1-212-846-8914,
Rebecca.Boswell@nick.com, both of Nickelodeon
