Woman turns guardian angel for stranger at airport after hearing someone cry in bathroom stall

For most families, the holiday season marks the time of year when loved ones gather for fun and festivities, exchange gifts, go on vacations and have hearty meals together. But it's not the same for some unfortunate folks in our society who continue to face numerous hardships and financial difficulties. Some people are stuck in pitiful situations where they have no one to help them. A viral Facebook post from 2021 reflects the plight of one such family and how a stranger stepped up to help them at the LAX airport.

A woman named Cyn Symone had an unexpected encounter with a struggling mother at the LAX after she missed her first flight to Los Angeles. However, despite being upset about missing her flight, little did Symone know that she was destined to become someone's guardian angel that day. "I missed my first flight to LA yesterday, I was so upset. But now I know why! When I finally got to LAX baggage claim, I went to the bathroom to check my makeup and I heard a woman crying hard. I was nervous and she was speaking Spanish, so I didn’t know if she’d even understand me," Symone recalled.

At first, she left the bathroom but ended up returning four times while waiting for her baggage claim. When she went into the same bathroom another time, Symone heard the woman say, "The bus doesn't come until tomorrow." That's when Symone's heart dropped and she understood the gravity of the situation the stranger in the bathroom stall was facing. "I asked her if she had Zelle or CashApp she said no. So I asked her if I could pay for her a hotel until tomorrow and she stopped crying and opened the stall door," the post continued.

Shockingly enough, Symone spotted sleeping kids on the bathroom floor. "I felt so happy to help her, knowing I would have spent my money on useless things otherwise. So she rode with me to the Marriott and I got her a room," Symone revealed. She also wondered how many people would have come into the bathroom before her and heard this mother crying for hours, but nobody extended a helping hand, nor did they know she had kids with her.

"I’m glad I said something because she was super sweet and appreciative and she had babies with her. I took the photo to send to my ride to emphasize if she can ride with us and I’ll pay because she needs help,” Symone concluded. She later added a small update to the post and explained why she decided to post the photo of the woman and her kids at the airport bathroom stall with their faces blurred.

"Yes, I decided to post the photo because when I woke up the next morning, I thought to myself, if only people knew the situation of the crying woman in the stall, would they have stopped? Unfortunately for most, seeing is believing and I hope everyone takes something from this," Symone further wrote. The comment section of her post was filled with people appreciating the good work done by Symone and how much it benefited the helpless mother.

Brooks Sydney-LaChelle wrote, "That’s major. You are a true blessing and I’m glad you posted it to encourage and let other people know it’s OK to help others." Nicole L Haines commented, "My heart just melted and I got tears in my eyes! I'm so glad you did that for her and her kids. Like seriously, tears are forming because that made me so happy she got help." Ultimately, Symone missing her first flight ended up leading her to become a family's saving grace during the holiday season.

Editor's note: This article was originally published on November 27, 2023. It has since been updated.