Bernice Saroni recalls tearful 19-hour flight after leaving children behind to start life in America
By Steve Ireri, July 25, 2026Kenyan-born US-based content creator Bernice Saroni has recalled the emotional day she left her children behind in Kenya to travel to the United States in search of a better future for them.
In a reflective post shared on Facebook on Friday, July 24, 2026, Saroni revisited September 4, 2017, describing it as one of the most difficult days she had experienced as a mother.
She recalled that her youngest son, Junior, was only 16 months old and was still breastfeeding at the time she was preparing to leave.
According to Saroni, the toddler did not understand that his mother was about to embark on a journey that would take her thousands of kilometres away from him.
She recalled an emotional moment when Junior climbed into her suitcase as she packed her belongings, unaware that his mother was preparing to leave.
“Junior was only 16 months old and still breastfeeding. As I packed my suitcase, he climbed inside it, not knowing I was about to leave,” she wrote.
Saroni said she desperately wanted to take her son with her but could not, making the moment even more painful as she prepared to begin a new chapter of her life away from her children.
“I wanted so badly to take him with me, but I couldn’t. That moment broke me in ways I can’t even describe,” she added.
Saroni also recalled the 19-hour flight to America, describing it as one of the longest journeys of her life because of the emotional weight she carried after leaving her children behind.
She said she spent almost the entire flight crying as she struggled to come to terms with the decision she had made.
According to Saroni, she was so overwhelmed by emotions that she could neither eat nor drink during the journey.
“Those 19 hours on that flight were the longest hours of my life. I cried almost the entire journey. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t drink. My heart was shattered knowing I had left my babies behind,” she wrote.
Saroni said every moment of the flight made her feel further removed from her children, whom she described as being at the centre of her heart.
“Every mile the plane flew felt like it was taking me farther away from my heart,” she added.
Despite the pain of leaving her children, Saroni said she continued to pray for the strength to endure the difficult period because she knew her separation from them was not meant to be permanent.
She said she had travelled to America with a clear goal of working hard, establishing a stable life and eventually bringing her children to join her.
“I kept asking God to give me the strength to keep going because I knew I wasn’t leaving them forever, I was leaving to build a better future for them,” she said.
Making sacrifices
Looking back at the journey several years later, Saroni said she now views the sacrifices she made differently, noting that the tears, difficult moments and lonely nights eventually served a purpose.
She said her experience had taught her that painful seasons do not last forever and encouraged other mothers who have faced similar circumstances to remain hopeful.
“Today, when I look at how far we’ve come, I realise every sacrifice, every tear, and every lonely night had a purpose,” she wrote.
Saroni also directed a message to mothers who have had to leave their children behind while pursuing employment or opportunities abroad.
She acknowledged the emotional burden that comes with such decisions, including guilt, sadness, sleepless nights and the pain of missing important moments in their children’s lives.
“To every mom who has ever had to leave her children behind to chase a better future, I see you. I know the pain, the guilt, the tears, and the sleepless nights,” she said.
She encouraged mothers going through similar experiences to remain focused on their goals and continue believing that difficult periods eventually come to an end.
“One day, your children will understand that you didn’t leave because you stopped loving them, you left because you loved them enough to sacrifice everything for their future,” she wrote.
