Flying with little ones isn’t always easy – especially when an airport is involved.
But one mum was keen to share the story of how a stranger stepped in to save the day while she was travelling with her two kids – and it will melt your heart.
Jessica Rudeen was travelling with her 4-month-old son and 3-year-old daughter to Wilmington, North Carolina, with a stop-over in Charlotte, North Carolina.
But when they took their seats on the first plane, that’s when the problems began.
Her post began:
“My first flights with an infant and a toddler started out with a little panic when we boarded the plane.
“My 4 month old was screaming his head off because, due to a series of unexpected events, I was unable to nurse him before boarding the plane.
“My 3 year old, who was excited before boarding the plane, lost her nerve and began screaming and kicking ‘I want to get off the plane! I don’t want to go!’
“I honestly thought we’d get kicked off the plane.”
The mum went on to explain that she was “desperately trying to calm the situation” when her seat mate, a man simply referred to as Todd, stepped in.
She continued:
“This man reached for the baby and held him while I forced a seatbelt on Caroline, got her tablet and started her movie.
“Once she was settled and relatively calmed, he distracted her so that I could feed Alexander.
“Finally, while we were taxiing, the back of the plane no longer had screams.
“During the flight, he colored and watched a movie with Caroline, he engaged in conversation and showed her all the things outside.
“By the end of the flight, he was Caroline’s best friend.
“I’m not sure if he caught the kiss she landed on his shoulder while they were looking out the window.”
It turns out that, after exiting the plane, Jessica and her kids were headed to the same gate as Todd.
Her post continued:
“He helped us get off the plane and led us to the next gate with Caroline in hand.
“If that wasn’t enough, he changed his seat on the next flight to sit in our row to help us.
“This guy, Todd, showed me kindness and compassion that I’ve never known from another person.
“His wife, he said, had a similar experience when their two boys were young and a stranger showed her the same kindness.
“I am blown away by God’s hand in this because we could have been placed next to anyone, but we were seated next to one of the nicest men I have ever met in my life.”
Her post struck a chord with other parents, with the initial post being shared more than 4,800 times and getting more than 13,000 likes.
It went so viral that it ended up with Jessica being in touch with Todd’s wife, she updated, and they are all hoping to be able to get together soon.
