Laura was moved by a stranger’s kindness.
DURING one of the most terrible times of Laura Genovich’s life, a stranger’s act of kindness made all the difference.
Mrs Genovich had boarded an American Airlines flight with her three-month-old baby to visit her mother in Orlando, Florida, who had suffered a stroke and was dying. Unfortunately, the plane was delayed for over an hour due to mechanical issues — and then, there was worse news when it was cancelled.
It looked like she may not be able to make it to her mother’s bedside in time.
But in an amazing twist of fate, a fellow traveller stepped in and turned her luck around, leaving Mrs Genovich so touched that she took to Facebook to share the story.
“In the middle of an extremely difficult time for my family, I have to share a story about the incredible generosity of a complete stranger and the unexpected kindness of a major airline,” she wrote.
“Mum had a stroke the day before Thanksgiving, and at first we didn’t know how bad it was. I had been talking to the nurses by phone every few hours since mum and dad live in Florida and I’m in Michigan. On Friday morning, the nurse told me that mum might not ever wake up. I knew I had to get down there and be with her and dad.”
Her husband rushed her to the airport and once on the plane, the phone calls continued.
“I was on the phone with my dad, my husband, and my niece, talking about mum’s health, that she probably wasn’t going to make it, and how anxious I was to get there quickly.
“After an hour, the flight attendant announced that they couldn’t fix the plane and the flight was cancelled. I broke down crying and called my husband, devastated that I probably would not make it to Mum’s bedside that day.”
That’s when, to her shock, the kind stranger stepped in.
“When I got off the phone, the woman in the seat in front of me turned around and looked me in the eye. She said, ‘My name is Mary. I’ve been listening to you for the last hour and I’ve been praying for you and your family. I am not leaving your side until you are on a plane to Orlando.’
“I could hardly talk for crying so hard, and the other passengers were staring as they exited. Finally, we were the last ones on the plane, and the flight attendant asked Mary to deboard, saying the airline would take care of me. Mary reluctantly left the plane.”
She started to cry at the airport.
Meanwhile, her husband had found a Southwest Airlines flight that was the next to depart, so she left the plane. Mary was still waiting for her and helped her with her backpack.
However, the ticket agent said he couldn’t transfer her ticket as American Airlines doesn’t have a contract with Southwest. The plane was about to leave in 15 minutes.
“Mary and I ran to the Southwest gate, her still holding my bag and me still holding the baby.
The gate for the Southwest flight was completely empty, except for a ticket agent,” Mrs Genovich wrote.
“I ran to the agent and asked if the flight was closed. She looked at me (tears running down my face, clutching an infant) and said, ‘I can put you on the flight. What’s going on?’ I quickly explained.
“Gayle told me that the ticket was $400 ($550). Mary then stepped up to the counter and said, ‘I will pay for her ticket’. I told Mary that she did not have to do that, I could pay it, but she insisted, telling me that it was a thanksgiving and Christmas gift to me.
“I cried harder, telling her I would pay it forward. She told me to go take care of my dad, and to take care of my baby, and that would be paying it forward. Then she hugged me tightly and said, ‘I love you and the Lord loves you’.”
Later, when she landed she saw an email from the Southwest ticket agent, Gay, sending her thoughts and prayer from all at the airline.
She also passed on Mary’s full name and contact information, and said that Mary had been given a voucher for a future flight.
Mrs Genovich sent Mary a note on Facebook to say thanks, but decided to go public with the story.
“I want to publicly thank her for her selflessness and generosity, and to thank Southwest Airlines for unparalleled customer service ... If you meet Mary, please give her a hug for me.”
Laura’s mother passed away on December 3.
And the kindness didn’t end there — the airline sent their condolences and some flower over.
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