Some people really enjoy flying. However, itโs not an easy task for everyone.
Las Vegas mom, Alexa Bjornson, was really apprehensive about a flight her seven-year-old son, Landon, would be taking. Not only was it the first time heโd be traveling alone โ but also because Landon has autism.
The thought of sending your child onto an airplane by themselves would make a lot of parents nervous. After all, without you by their side, there are a lot of โunknownsโ that could happen.
Alexa knew that flying could be a little more difficult for Landon because of his autism. He was set to take a Southwest flight from Las Vegas to Portland to visit his dad. But heโd be doing it all alone.
Landon himself was a little nervous about the trip โ and since Alexa had no clue who would be sitting next to him on the plane, she too was anxious. Would the person be kind and helpful towards her son?
Thatโs when the mom came up with an idea.
She decided to write the stranger a note that explained Landonโs situation, in the hopes theyโd act with compassion.
Alexa wrote:
โHe has high functioning autism, which means he is very smart and loving, but he tends to get emotional when he is scared and can get hyper. He might ask you โare we there yetโ a few times or get a little loud with his headphones on. If you could please find it in your heart to make him feel comfortable and safe I would be forever grateful!โ
With the note, Alexa included $10 in cash for the personโs troubles. Although she was hoping it would help Landon have a smooth flight โ the response she got from the stranger completely blew her away.
Alexa told CBS13,
โMy heart just droppedโฆโ
The person on the flight, named Ben, sent Alexa a sweet selfie of the pair on the plane. With it he wrote:
โMy name is Ben. I was Landonโs seat neighbor for his flight to Portland. He did ask if we were there yet several times but he was a good travel buddy. We had a good time and played a few rounds of rock-paper-scissors. Heโs a great kid and youโre a lucky mom.โ
In regards to the money, he said:
โI appreciate the $10 but it wasnโt necessary. I donated it to Autism-Society.org in honor of Landon. Have a great day!โ
It was a selfless act of kindness that filled Alexaโs heart.
She took to Facebook to share the story with others โ and to give thanks to Ben, the caring stranger.
โI am so grateful to this individual, and that there are still kind people in this world who make a difference like I try myself to do as well. Thank you so much Ben!!!!โ
Alexaโs Facebook post quickly went viral and has been shared more than 17,000 times.
When CBS13 got a hold of Ben, he told them about a funny situation on the flight. Apparently, the pair had enjoyed telling jokes to one another. But after a while, Landon so cutely said, โquit making dad jokes.โ
It goes to show that not all angels necessarily have wings. Also, sometimes itโs the little things in life that can make the biggest difference to someone.
Watch the video below to hear more about this beautiful story.
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