“I don’t know her name, but she was our hero on our flight home. My son Xayvior has a lot of anxieties and due to his special needs and recently diagnosed autism he responds suddenly with change.
We were actually on our way home from a trip for medical research for both my kids. They have a rare genetic disease called Methylmalonic Acidemia, or MMA. It is a serious and life-threatening disease that currently has no cure. In addition, my son was diagnosed with autism on this trip.
On the flight he had a sudden meltdown and we couldn’t keep him calm no matter what we tried. This was unexpected since the previous flights he got through fine. It felt like everyone on the entire plane was looking at us and annoyed by my son’s outburst. It can feel very frustrating and isolating when others just don’t understand that he is not just a kid with no discipline, but rather a child with special needs who doesn’t know how to control his responses to things.
Anyhow, this flight attendant came up and asked if she could hold him and take him for a walk. I warned her that he might get aggressive with her and try to gouge her eyes (he does this often and it is a sensory processing issue) …
She quickly responded that she did not mind and swooped him up, taking him on a tour of the plane. This hero gave us a bit of sanity back in a chaotic moment. When they came back, Xayvior was much calmer and he just loved on his new friend so happily!
I want to thank this Delta employee and let Delta know what a wonderful woman they have employed with them. She didn’t stare or judge, she just showed love and empathy without hesitation. We need more people like this in the world. Thank you, Delta employee, thank you!”
This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Sonja Redding of Omaha, Nebraska. Do you have a similar experience? We’d like to hear your important journey. Submit your own story here, and subscribe to our best stories in our free newsletter here.
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