Delta Airlines held flight for 30 minutes — all so a daughter could say her final goodbyes to dying mom
When Hannah was leaving, her mother had survived the surgery and was doing well — until suddenly, her body went into a septic shock.
Delta Airlines demonstrated how a simple act of kindness can profoundly impact someone's life. Hannah White (@xoxohannahwhite) was mid-flight when her brother called with devastating news: their mother, hospitalized for undiagnosed pneumonia, had gone into septic shock. Unsure of how she would reach her mother in time, Hannah found an unexpected ally in Delta Airlines.
On December 9, 2024, Hannah posted a TikTok video recounting her story. Her mother, Kathleen Nelson, had undergone surgery and was initially recovering well. However, her condition suddenly worsened, and her body went into shock. "Doctors did not know what was wrong or how long she had," wrote the daughter. But, there was a catch. She headed for the first flight to Minneapolis but due to mechanical issues, they were stuck at the Dallas airport.
"I knew if I didn't make [it to] my connecting flight, I wouldn't see my mom until the following day and we weren't sure she'd be alive," White added. So she shared her predicament with the flight attendant but she was told that she was going to miss the connecting flight and had already been booked for the following day. Naturally, this teared her up. "I immediately started welling up with tears. She apologized and cried with me."
Hannah began to lose hope of seeing her mother one last time. However, the flight attendant shared her story with the pilot, who took action. "The other pilot said he would wait for me so I could see my mom. They then bumped me up to first class, so I could get off the plane faster." The crew informed the other passengers of her situation and they obliged.
"The man next to me realized they were speaking about me, so he pulled up a map of the airport and helped me find my connecting gate. He told me to run as fast as I could as soon as we landed," White continued. She then ran through the airport as the Delta crew waited for her for 30 minutes. After she returned, everyone welcomed her and said, "We've been waiting for you, Hannah."
"My mom passed away the next day. Delta's kindness gave me 24 extra hours with her. I was able to say 'I love you' one last time and provide the comfort for her in her final moments, that she provided for me my whole life," White wrote and extended gratitude to the Airlines, "Thank you, Delta. You gave me the gift of time. You have a forever customer in me."
Her video received an overwhelming response of 10.3 million views and her followers in the comment section were equally moved by her heartbreaking yet beautiful story. This person on TikTok, @kimstafford, revealed, "My son-in-law was the captain on that flight. Keith Napolitano." @kay gushed, "The man mapping the airport, all the people who made time stop so you could have 24 hours makes me believe in humanity."
Meanwhile, some Delta employers also popped in her comment section feeling all proud. @inaya_ayeshaprasad said, "Delta employee here, and I'm so happy our team was able to help you get to your mom in time. May she rest in peace." @elizabethmay became a Delta fan: "This just influenced me to spend extra $$$ to fly Delta whenever I can."
You can follow Hannah White (@xoxohannahwhite) for content related to her mother and Delta Airlines.
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