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Woman on flight sees something wrong with seatmate, stands up to clear the aisle for final goodbye

There's still good in the world.

Screenshots courtesy of Hailey Sand

Woman clears aisle on flight to help passenger see dying grandfather

Even when your life feels like it's falling apart, other people's lives are still going on as normal. Unfortunately, the world doesn't stop because tragedy strikes someone's family, but recently on a United Airlines flight, one woman had a pretty close equivalent. Hailey Ann Sand recently took an unexpected trip after finding out her grandfather was being placed on comfort care as he was nearing the end of his life.

Sand knew she wanted to be there for his final moments, so she booked a last-minute flight and headed out. What was supposed to be a smooth trip wound up being stress-inducing due to the flight landing behind schedule. The airline was aware that some passengers had connecting flights taking off in a few minutes so they made the announcement asking for passengers to extend courtesy to those with tight connections.

 airplane, flight airport, airplane passenger, sky, commercial jet blue and white airplane in the sky during daytime  Photo by Avel Chuklanov on Unsplash  

Sand was one of those with an extremely tight connection when the flight landed in Denver, but as airline passengers often do, many stood up, not allowing others to get off the plane first. It was then that the grieving granddaughter was reminded that there are still good people in the world. The woman shares in a video that she was in seat 31A and another woman, whom she didn't know was in seat 31B noticed the urgency on Sand's face prompting the woman to inquire if something was wrong. After Sand explained that she was in a hurry to catch her next flight so she could be there with her grandfather in his last moments, the stranger sprung into action.

Sand's connecting flight was scheduled to depart in 25 minutes but the aisle was completely blocked. That is, until her seatmate got everyone to clear it.

 airports, airplanes, denver, foot traffic, takeoff, airport gate People walking inside an airport.  Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash  

"You didn't owe me anything but you stepped out in the aisle and you announced very loudly to everybody to please step aside so that I can get off the plane in a timely manner," Sand says hoping her words reach the woman who helped her. "We landed 25 minutes before my next flight was supposed to depart, and it was a 22-minute walk across the Denver airport. We flew into gate 73ish, and I was flying out of 12. I had to walk all the way across. I just want you to know that I made that flight and I got to be there last night. And I got to tell my grandfather how much I loved him and he got to tell me back and he understood what I was saying."

The grieving granddaughter was able to be there along with the rest of her family until her grandfather passed. She continues the video with an emotional thank you to the stranger saying that her act of kindness changed her life, hoping the video would reach the kind stranger. While the video didn't reach her, the video did reach United Airlines causing several flight attendants and crew to reach out to Sand. Through some detective work, they connected her with a relative who connected her with the stranger, Katie.

 
 @haileyannsand @United Airlines ♬ original sound - Hailey Ann 
 
 

Turns out Katie wasn't just an average passenger, she's a hospice nurse who deeply understands a family's need to be together during someone's final hours. Sand tells Upworthy it look less than 24 hours to track Katie down and get in touch with her. While the flight they shared was from San Antonio to Denver, Katie just happened to be traveling from work and isn't from either city and Sand lives in San Antonio but is from Washington. The chance seating assignment seemed meant to be.

Once Sand reached her family she left her chance encounter with a hospice nurse to feel the warmth and comfort of the hospice nurses at Samaritan Hospital in Moses Lake, Washington, "They did an excellent job for my grandfather in his final moments but also my whole family in helping us through a difficult time."

 
 @haileyannsand @United Airlines ♬ original sound - Hailey Ann 
 
 

Sand shares that her grandfather was "a husband of 62 years, a father, a grandfather, a great-grandfather, a brother, a friend, a mentor. He served in the Army and worked his whole life as a farmer. He was the most hardworking man. He loved to travel and has been all over the world. He was very involved in his community, and the world would be better with more people like him in it."

While the woman hoped the video would reach the passenger that helped her on the plane, she likely didn't expect it to reach over 9 million people but since it has she hopes people leave her video with a message of kindness.

"I hope this story continues to resonate with people and inspire them to love each other more, and think twice when the flight crew asks you to stay seated so that people who have a tight connection can get off the plane. You never know why someone is traveling and it’s not always for a happy reason."

This article originally appeared in May.

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Heroes

Denver 3-year-old bravely saves great-grandma after she fell outside while babysitting him

He learned bravery from watching 'Paw Patrol.'

Photo credit: Canva

3-year-old saves great-grandma after she fell and hit her head

There's no rule that says only an adult can be a hero. Teens and sometimes small children can become heroes too, even when they're not thinking of themselves as someone worthy of a cape. Bridger Peabody is just three years old but the toddler is already adding hero to his resume before he even starts preschool.

Bridger is a huge fan of the show Paw Patrol, which came in handy when an emergency took place while he was being babysat by his great-grandmother Sharon Lewis, 77. The two were home alone when the unthinkable happened, "Gigi," which is what Bridger calls his grandma, fell and the toddler had to rescue her. Lewis uses a walker to get around and must've become unsteady on her feet while maneuvering the wheeled walker inside.

The pair were outside enjoying some playtime before everything went south. As they were making their way inside from playing in the backyard, Lewis fell—but it wasn't just a normal trip and fall. The great-grandma didn't land on her knees, bottom, or even her hands—which probably would caused enough damage. When Lewis fell, she forcefully hit her head on the cement steps and blood quickly rushed from her wound—but that wasn't the end of her problem.

elderly, great grandma, great grandma, injury, childcareThank goodness the little boy knew what to do. Giphy

"I tripped over something and fell and hit my head on the concrete step," Lewis tells Inside Edition.

The elderly woman was unable to move and her cell phone was not with her. Since she was home alone with the toddler, she realized he was the only one there who could help her. So, she instructed him to get her phone. Bridger may be young, but he knew his grandmother was hurt and needed his help. There were a couple of stumbling blocks for Bridger to overcome, though, the first one being that the phone was in the car, not inside the house. The second was that the sun had set and the toddler is afraid of the dark.

dark, emergency, child, great grandma, helpThe situation was pretty dire.Giphy

This is where Paw Patrol comes in. The show is popular with toddlers and preschoolers, and depicts cartoon dogs of different breeds donning uniforms from various help and service professions (firefighter, police, construction, etc.) to rescue different fictional animals. It shows kids the importance of bravery, team work, and kindness—which Bridger clearly picked up on. The little guy knew that it was dark outside, but he also knew he needed to help his great-grandmother—so he braved the dark channeling his inner Paw Patrol character.

His self pep talk was caught on camera and it's just as adorable as one might imagine. You can see Bridger holding his blankie in the night vision security camera as he walks to the car repeating, "Don't be afraid." The boy opens the car door and excitedly exclaims, "YAY! I did it!" when he gets inside the car. When the interior light turned on in the car, Bridger could clearly see the phone and was able to grab it and bring it back to his grandmother, allowing her to call 911.

The ambulance came to take Lewis to the hospital where she received 22 staples in her head. She's now home safely recovering all thanks to the bravery of her three-year-old great grandson.

This article originally appeared in March

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Quick thinking waitress worried that a boy was being abused, so she flashed him a secret note

It took her multiple attempts to get through to the frightened boy.

via WFTV
Quick thinking waitress had a gut feeling a boy was being abused. So she gave him a sign.

Everyday acts of heroism and bravery aren't always easy. They take quick-thinking, an ability to assess a dangerous situation, and courage to act on a gut instinct that might be wrong; or worse, might put you in danger. And then of course there's the bystander effect, a theory in social psychology wherein individuals tell themselves that someone else will help, someone more qualified and prepared to handle this situation will step in.

To overcome our human nature, nerves, self-preservation, and psychology in order to step in to help is truly a remarkable feat. And yet it happens every day, and never fails to inspire us when such stories make headlines.

Server Flavaine Carvalho was waiting on her last table of the night at Mrs. Potatohead's, a family restaurant in Orlando, Florida when she noticed something peculiar.

The parents of an 11-year-old boy were ordering food but told her that the child would be having his dinner later that night at home. She glanced at the boy who was wearing a hoodie, glasses, and a face mask and noticed a scratch between his eyes.

A closer look revealed a bruise on his temple.

So Carvalho walked away from the table and wrote a note that said, "Do you need help?" and showed it to the boy from an angle where his parents couldn't see.

heroes, heroism, everyday hero, bravery, child abuse, kids, parenting, crime, police, heartwarming, rescueMrs. Potatohead's restaurant in Orlando, Florida. The child was sitting at a table like these when Carvalho noticed him.Facebook

The boy shook his head, no. But the waitress didn't give up, her gut was telling her something wasn't right. "I knew it that he was afraid," she said.

Her instincts were on the right track. Unexplained injuries on a child, and a parents' attempt at hiding or disguising them, are a big red flag for child abuse.

Carvalho made two more attempts until the boy nodded yes.

The server then called the owner of the restaurant to let her know that she was going to call the police on the boy's parents. It was a bold move with very little information to go on, but one that Carvalho knew was right in her heart. She knew she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she didn't speak up in that moment.

The police arrived and arrested the boy's stepfather on one count of third-degree child abuse. His mother Kristen Swann was arrested with two counts of child neglect.

A four-year-old girl was later taken from the family by authorities. They say she showed no signs of abuse.

Detectives spoke with the boy and learned his parents frequently withheld food from him as a form of punishment. He was 20 pounds underweight. After searching his body, they discovered that he was nearly covered in bruises.

His father had recently beat him with a broomstick and back scratcher. The man, Timothy Lee Wilson, received a life sentence in 2022. The boy's mother was also convicted on her charges of child neglect.

heroes, heroism, everyday hero, bravery, child abuse, kids, parenting, crime, police, heartwarming, rescueThe parents were taken into custody thanks to the waitress' heroic actions via Orlando PD

The boy told detectives that he was once hung upside down from his ankles in a door frame by his father and had been restrained by being strapped to a furniture dolly.

"To be honest what this child had gone through was torture," Detective Erin Lawler said. "There was no justification for it in any realm of the world. I'm a mother and seeing what that 11-year-old had to go through, it shocks your soul."

Carvalho's quick thinking and bravery may have saved the lives of two children.

"This could have been a homicide situation if she had not have intervened," Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolon said.

"The lesson here for all of us is to recognize when we see something that isn't right to act on it… This saved the life of a child," he added.

The restaurant's owner, Rafaela Cabede, hopes that Carvalho's bravery inspires others to look out for signs of abuse as well. It's so difficult and important for adults to understand the warning signs for child abuse, as it's often difficult or impossible for children to speak up for themselves in these situations.

heroes, heroism, everyday hero, bravery, child abuse, kids, parenting, crime, police, heartwarming, rescueIt's not always obvious when kids need help, so we have to look carefully. Photo by Luke Pennystan on Unsplash

Visible bruises, withdrawn behavior, and limited contact with the outside world are key warning signals. With about one in seven U.S. children tragically suffering some form of abuse, all adults need to be on the lookout for the signs.

"We understand that this has to encourage other people that when you see something, say something," Cabede said. "We know when we see a situation that is wrong, we know what's the right thing to do. We know that speaking up is the right thing to do. But it takes more than acknowledging it. It takes courage.

This article originally appeared four years ago. It has been updated.

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Elderly woman prints letter in town newspaper thanking delivery driver for saving her life

"I don't know if he will see this..."

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A delivery driver in England helped save a woman's life

Kindness is infectious. Once it chooses a host, it can spread easily to others, creating a world where the same germ of consideration one could have for another might come back tenfold.

Such was the case in England with Leandro Pinto Dantas, a 36-year-old Asda delivery driver working in Poole, Dorset. One evening, he was making a grocery delivery to a woman and became concerned when she didn't answer her door. His instinct told him something was off, and sure enough - it was.

In Sophie Cridland's piece for BBC.com, she shares his explanation: "The light was on, and the TV was on. I knocked on the door but didn't get an answer, so I called the contact phone number we had for the delivery but got no reply." He then looked through the window, only to see that the woman was on the floor, seemingly unconscious. He called emergency services (999 in the United Kingdom), and luckily, they were able to come in time.

The woman, reportedly in her 60s, was diabetic, and her blood sugar had dropped. The paramedics treated her with a glucose injection.

Some might say concern for others is just the right thing to do — and that perhaps anyone in their right mind would have done the same. But Leandro went an extra mile by not only putting the customer's groceries away once the paramedics arrived, but also coming back a few days later with a check-in and some flowers.

In turn, the woman penned a letter to Leandro for the Bournemouth Echo (a local newspaper), letting him know how much it meant to her.

Printed in bold was: "Thanks for all your help." The letter continued: "I don't know if he will see this, but just in case he does, I wonder if you can print my letter to say thank you to the Asda delivery chap who found me unconscious on the floor and organised a neighbour to get my back gate open so he could come in and phone for an ambulance. That is certainly going above and beyond what I would expect from supermarket delivery drivers to do. I am fine now, but I think that will be the last time I do my insulin injection in that part of me again." It's signed Mrs. A. Thorne, Coles Avenue, Poole.

Delivery driver, Asda, Poole, heroA woman pens a note to the Bournemouth Echo to thank delivery driverBBC.Com, Bournemouth Echo Newspaper

She also relayed that the incident might have saved her from another silent issue. "I came round with a paramedic giving me glucose to get my blood sugars up. My blood pressure wasn't quite right either, so I was taken to hospital to be checked over and was allowed home the next day."

Leandro's employers took note too. They nominated him for the Asda Service Superstar Award. From their website: "We’re extremely proud of our incredible colleagues who go the extra mile every day to make a difference to our customers, communities and each other. Our Proud to be Asda Awards are about recognising, celebrating and most importantly saying thank you to these extra special colleagues."

Call it fate, call it circumstance. Either way, one simple act of doing the right thing led to more kindness, which led to the workplace taking note ---which will hopefully only continue paving the path for better things.

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