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Mikaela’s Flight: How a Simple Act of Kindness Put My Daughter and Me at Ease during a Recent Flight

DerekH
Employee
Employee

The following blog post was written by Southwest Customer Brenda Yeh.


Mikaela.jpgI always get a little nervous traveling with my five-year-old, autistic daughter, Mikaela. She's been doing much better on airplanes, but I always ask to pre-board because walking onto a flight full of people can be overwhelming.

 

Similarly, for my Southwest flight from Burbank to San Jose, I had asked to pre-board. The Southwest Gate Agent was helpful and printed my pre-board ticket, but didn't say much more (nor would I have expected any more). An hour later, as we were boarding, he quickly handed me a little booklet, which I thought was something for my daughter to draw on during the flight. I was slightly flustered since I was literally walking out of the gate to the airplane, so I quickly said thank you and left.

 

After we settled in our seats, I realized it was not just a plain booklet, but the most amazing gift I've ever received from a stranger. He illustrated a storybook, "Mikaela's Flight". Needless to say, I cried tears of joy throughout the entire flight.

 

1-Mikaela's Flight Cover.jpg

 

Every parent struggles, and a part of my struggle is my own anxiety, stemming from never knowing when and what may cause my child to have a breakdown. So, to know that someone cares and understands really puts me at ease. And even more importantly, he's made me more hopeful for all the good people in this world. His actions were kind and sincere, and perfectly illustrates why Southwest boasts its People as its "single greatest strength."

 

Mikaela_Book.jpg