A woman has shared the heartwarming story of Delta Airlines giving her an extra 24 hours with her mother before she passed away.
In one now-viral TikTok, Hannah White explained that she rushed to get home to North Dakota to visit mother Kathleen Nelson, who had gone into septic shock after surgery after suffering from undiagnosed pneumonia.
Hannah’s brother called her and told her that “the family needed to see her immediately” because “doctors didn’t know what was wrong or how long she had left.”
Hannah immediately booked the first flight out of Dallas leaving the next morning. The flight had a connection in Minneapolis, which wasn’t a problem until her flight was delayed an hour due to mechanical problems.
“I knew if I didn’t catch my flight I wouldn’t see my mother until the next day and we weren’t sure if she would still be alive,” she explained in the video.
Hannah explained her situation to the flight attendant and desperately asked if there was anything they could do to ensure she made the connecting flight.
“She came back to my seat and told me that unfortunately I would miss my flight and that they had already booked me for the flight the next day,” she recalls.
“When she explained this, I immediately had tears in my eyes,” says Hannah. “I cried in my seat knowing I wouldn’t be able to see my mother one last time.”
In a now-viral TikTok, Hannah White explained that she rushed to get home to North Dakota to see her mother Kathleen Nelson, who had gone into septic shock following surgery following an undiagnosed pneumonia.
However, an hour later the flight attendant returned and said the pilot had called the pilot of her second flight, who had agreed to hold the plane so she could make it.
“They then sent me to first class so I could get off the plane faster,” she said.
“When I arrived at my first class seat, the pilot made an announcement to the entire plane to let me leave first so I could say goodbye to my mother.”
She added that the man next to her even pulled out a map to show her the fastest way to get through the airport to make the flight after she realized they were talking about her.
“They let me out and I ran through the airport to make my flight, knowing they were waiting for me for 30 minutes,” she said.
“The whole time I imagined my mother and how she would run across the country for me,” Hannah added.
When she arrived at her connecting flight, the plane was waiting for her – and Hannah said she could relax knowing she would be able to see her mother one last time.
“When I got off, all the flight attendants gave me words of encouragement and wished me luck,” she said, adding that the pilot also came out to say he was praying for her.
Hannah immediately booked the first flight out of Dallas leaving the next morning. The flight had a connection in Minneapolis, which wasn’t a problem until her flight was delayed an hour due to mechanical problems
Hannah says the airline, which held her connecting flight so she could make it, gave her an extra 24 hours with her mother before she died (stock image)
“My mother passed away the next day,” she heartbreakingly shared.
“Delta’s kindness gave me an extra 24 hours with her,” she continued. “I was able to say ‘I love you’ one last time and offer her in her final moments the comfort she has given me all my life.”
According to CNN Travelsthe flight attendant who helped Hannah was Eva Ortiz, and the pilot, Captain Keith Napolitano.
The pilot told the outlet that the “stars don’t always align where I have the immediate ability to influence the outcome, but this was one of those cases where I thought it was possible.”
Hannah added that she was “overwhelmed with joy because I had accepted that I wouldn’t see my mother until the next day.”
“I don’t think any of them really know how much gratitude I have for them for giving me some extra time with my mom or just being nice to me on one of the worst days of my life,” she added.