A mother flying alone for the first time with her toddler was moved to tears by the supportive notes left by other mothers in the airport nursing lounge.
Jenna Dillulio, 38, traveled with her 14-month-old daughter Ember from Richmond, Virginia, to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in mid-October to visit her family who live in the area and also to overcome her fear of flying.
The mother told it Good morning America that her therapist recommended she take her daughter on her first plane trip to help her overcome her fears about air travel.
“This trip was such a big step for me,” she explained.
Jenna Dillulio, 38, was moved to tears when she visited the mothers’ care unit at Pittsburgh International Airport while flying alone with her 14-month-old daughter Ember.
The influencer explained on TikTok that the walls were covered with encouraging Post-it notes from other mothers
Dillulio told Good Morning America that she traveled with her toddler from Richmond, Virginia, to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in mid-October to visit her family who live in the area.
Dillulio visited the mothers’ nursing lounge at Pittsburgh International Airport with her daughter prior to their return flight and was greeted by dozens of Post-it notes from other mothers.
Traveling with a young child can be difficult, especially as a single parent recalled being “overcome with emotion” as she read the handwritten words of encouragement while feeding her little girl.
“You are amazing, magical and courageous,” one note read.
“You got this mama! Get through it today. Tomorrow is a new start!’ said another.
Dillulio, a social media influencer, documented the incredible experience on TikTok.
“We just entered the nurses’ lounge in Pittsburgh. This is so emotional for me,” she said through tears. ‘There are post-its (with words) all over the walls to encourage mothers traveling with their babies.
“It’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen, and I needed it so much today,” she added.
Dillulio thanked the Pittsburgh International Airport for “honoring mothers and giving them the space to support each other” in the text on the screen.
The mother said her therapist recommended she take her daughter on her first plane trip to help her overcome her fears about air travel
Dillulio visited the nurses’ lounge with her daughter prior to their return flight and was greeted by dozens of Post-it notes from other mothers
Dillulio held her daughter on her hip as she wrote her own message to add to the collection: “You are amazing.”
Dillulio thanked the Pittsburgh International Airport for “honoring mothers and giving us this space to support each other.”
She then turned the camera to show all the colorful Post-it notes on the wall.
Dillulio held her daughter on her hip as she wrote her own message to add to the collection, writing, “You are amazing.”
Christina Cassotis, the CEO of Pittsburgh International Airport, told GMA that the mother’s lounge was one of her first initiatives when she took on the role.
“Being a new mom traveling, I thought maybe we could do a little more than just give people a bathroom stall that they had to rig up to make work for them, especially a busy bathroom,” she explained.
The lounge opened in May 2015, three years before Congress passed the Friendly Airports for Mothers Act, which requires private areas for mothers to breastfeed their children in every terminal at medium to large airports.
Dillulio also shared that her fear of flying with her daughters was unfounded, saying the toddler was “an angel” as she napped and played.
She told GMA that she is now looking forward to planning future trips with her child.
‘It’s really special and important to be able to put our babies in their place, to normalize these things and just be flexible, and know that you have the support of women around the world who have done it so many times – and you can do it, she said.