Airport staff refused to let 2-year-old fly with her dad — until Norwex CFO silently stepped in and flashed her card

Being denied from flying at the last minute can be stressful, especially for a parent when ticket fares are soaring high. When a young dad was informed that his 2-year-old daughter could not fly unless he paid for her expensive ticket, he began to panic. That's when a kind lady stepped in without a word, and her act of compassion is now being praised by users online. The woman, identified as Norwex CFO Debbie Bolton, was recognized and brought to light by content creator Bo Grant (@marriedtoalunatic) on November 17, and the story even caught the attention of Norwex's social media team. 

Debbie Bolton, the CFO and cofounder of Norwex, a cleaning-based company, was standing in an airport line for check-in when a man in front of her was traveling with his 2-year-old daughter. During his check-in, the airport staff asked how old his daughter was, and when he replied that she was two, the staff insisted that she needed her own ticket. Unfortunately, the father had assumed that children under the age of three could fly for free. When he had booked the ticket earlier, his daughter was a little over a year and a half old. At that time, he did not realize that two years old was the cut-off age where she would need her own ticket to fly. The father grew distraught when he learned from the woman behind the counter that it would cost over $700 for the ticket.

During this tense situation, Debbie, who overheard the entire conversation, stepped in to buy the little girl her ticket. While the staff explained that the ticket would cost $749, Debbie insisted on paying for it and making sure the father and daughter could fly together. The man, completely blown away by the kind stranger's gesture, asked for her name so he could return the money. Debbie refused and told him not to worry about it. However, kindness often finds its way back in unexpected ways. A person who clicked a picture of the entire situation posted it online, where Debbie was identified. Coworkers who recognized her described her as the genuinely kind person she is, as perfectly shown in this moment.

A 2022 study in Scientific American found that people often underestimate the impact they create through their kindness. The study suggests that people hold back from being kind to strangers because they don't realize how powerful these small moments can be for someone else. While $749 may not have been a huge amount for Debbie, her act of kindness in a dire situation will always be remembered by the father.

Soon after the story was posted, many people hailed the kind woman for her generosity. @norwex, who replied to the post, wrote, "Thank you so much for all the love for our amazing Co-Founder Debbie! Her kindness is such a beautiful reflection of the heart behind Norwex. She cares deeply about people and the planet, and that caring nature extends to everyone she meets, and even those she hasn't met yet. We're so grateful you're seeing that in her." @leesabuckley shared, "Omg I thought this was gonna be a Karen incident but I applaud her, that is fabulous. Restores our faith in unity in these times. I hope her business booms even more after this." @heatherisalwaystired commented, "Finally, a good story. We aren't getting enough of these lately."

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