It’s nice to be reminded that the “friendly skies” can still be friendly, at least sometimes.
According to WBTV, in a now-viral video, “A Delta flight attendant was seen sitting in the middle of a plane aisle holding the hand of a woman to comfort her.”
On January 14, Molly Simonson Lee, who was also on board, posted a picture that is quickly making its rounds. It shows the flight attendant, Floyd Dean-Shannon, alongside the anxious woman.
“He was sort of explaining everything,” Lee told the news outlet. “And about mid-flight, she had tears and was obviously having a real tough time. He saw that and quickly and calmly went over and sat next to her and had such warmth and calmness.”
The plane was on its way to New York from Charlotte.
Journalist Louie Tran posted an interview with Lee on Twitter that you can see here.
The Flight Attendant Went Beyond The Call Of Duty
Lee, who was on board the flight, couldn’t sing Dean-Shannon’s praises enough.
“Check out this gem of a flight attendant that was on our flight from CLT to JFK,” she wrote in a Facebook post. “This woman was so nervous about flying, so he explained every sound and bump and even sat here holding her hand when it still got to be too much for her.”
Lee tagged Delta and said the man deserved a raise. She even set up a Go Fund Me for him.
Lee said, “I was just so struck by his generosity. Flight attendants are so busy, and he doesn’t have an extra second. So he probably had to work extra hard to put aside for that moment, but he wasn’t worried about that. He was worried about making sure she was okay. It was beautiful to me. I had tears in my eyes watching. It was so kind.”
The Woman Hadn't Flown In Some Time
The woman’s nervousness and anxiety were quite obvious.
WBTV reported, “Shortly after she sat down on the flight with her daughter, the woman being comforted in the photo made it clear that she was very nervous and anxious about the flight since she hadn’t flown in a long time.”
A jet bridge alarm exacerbated the woman’s fears, but the flight attendant talked her through it.
Lee said that Dean-Shannon stayed by the woman’s side for five to ten minutes, then moved on when she composed herself.
Lee Wasn't The Only One Praising The Flight Attendant
“An individual like that deserves praise and everything good that comes towards him,” Lee told WBTV. “I hope that people will see the humanity in that position and think twice before they yell at a flight attendant in the future.”
People who commented on Facebook shared her exact sentiment.
Zina Mejia gushed, “Love this! What a great story and blessing and lesson. Thank you for sharing this beautiful story with us. God bless this young man, and I truly hope she felt safe with this angel on her flight.”