Delta Airlines Helps Reunite Daughter with Dying Mother, Wins Internet's Heart

Photo: Instagram/@deltaairlines_br

Delta Airlines is being praised by many people online after a woman shared a video about how the airline and its staff helped her spend extra time with her dying mother. In the video, posted on December 9, Hannah White explained that her mother, Kathleen Nelson, was critically ill due to undiagnosed pneumonia, which quickly led to septic shock.

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Doctors told Ms. White that her mother didn't have much time left, so she rushed to book a flight from Dallas, Texas, to North Dakota with a stop in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Unfortunately, her flight was delayed due to mechanical issues, and it stayed on the ground at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport for over an hour. This delay meant there was a good chance she would miss her connecting flight in Minneapolis, according to a CNN report.

Feeling emotional and worried, Ms. White spoke to one of the flight attendants. The attendant explained that she wouldn’t make the Minneapolis connection in time. Ms. White was rebooked on a new flight for the next day by Delta's automatic rebooking system. As she heard this news, she began to cry. The flight attendant apologized and cried with her, sharing her worry about not being able to see her mother one last time.

At that point, something unexpected happened. Captain Keith Napolitano, the pilot on Ms. White's flight, called the pilot of the Minneapolis connecting flight. The pilot agreed to wait for Ms. White so she could make it in time. "Sometimes, things just fall into place, and I knew I could help in this case," Captain Napolitano said.
When Ms. White’s flight landed in Minneapolis, the crew made sure everything went smoothly for her. They moved her seat to the front of the plane to help her get off faster. The crew even made a special announcement over the loudspeaker to ensure she was the first one to exit. A helpful passenger pulled out a map of the Minneapolis airport and gave it to Ms. White so she could easily find her next gate.

Thanks to these efforts, Ms. White was able to board her connecting flight and make it to her mother. The flight waited nearly 30 minutes for her, which gave Ms. White 24 extra hours with her mom. Tragically, her mother passed away the following day. But Ms. White was deeply grateful for the time she got to say goodbye and comfort her mother in her final moments. "Delta’s kindness gave me 24 extra hours with her. I was able to tell her ‘I love you’ one last time and be there for her the way she was always there for me," she shared.

When the video went viral, many people online praised the airline and its staff for their compassion. One person commented, "We mostly hear strange stories about airlines, but it’s nice to see Delta step up when it mattered." Another said, "These moments restore your faith in humanity." A third person added, "The person with the airport map, the people who helped make sure she had those 24 hours, it shows that kindness is still alive."