Allison, who lives in Perth, Australia with her husband and two young sons, was preparing to give birth to her third child. Her husband, Jace, has a steady job as a “fly in, fly out” worker. He spends four weeks away before returning home for one week, only to fly out again to spend another four working. His work location is 4,000 kilometers away from home in a remote area of Queensland.
Being separated has taken its toll on both Allison and Jace. Allison tears up when she talks about the emotional difficulties of being without her husband during the birth, and Jace speaks of depression created by being so far away from his family. Even Jace’s father expresses worry over the mental toll his job is taking on him.
Samsung decided to set the family up with the world’s first ever virtual reality birth. Using Samsung Gear VR, which functions like a headset with advanced visual and auditory capabilities, Jace could see the entire hospital room that his wife would give birth in.
He watched and talked with her as she went through labor, and when their son was born, Jace looked into his newborn’s eyes and heard his first cry. Jace’s father flew to Queensland to celebrate the birth with him. A week later, Jace returned home and met his new son in person. Jace and Allison were grateful for the opportunity that Samsung gave them.