by Donald Wood
Last updated: 4:00 PM ET, Tue December 15, 2015
Photo courtesy of Southwest Airlines
The airline industry in the United States gets plenty of grief, but an amazing story about a woman's journey to see her dying mother will have you looking at flying in a completely different way.
In a story posted by Laura Genovich on ScoryMommy.com about her experiences, the mother of three found out that her own mom had a stroke the day before Thanksgiving. After keeping in touch with nurses, Genovich found out earlier this month that her mom may never wake up.
Knowing that she had to get to her mother's bedside, Genovich and her three-month-old baby Audrey were driven to the airport by her husband where she then purchased a ticket on an American Airlines flight from Michigan to Orlando. Unfortunately, the flight was canceled due to a maintenance issue, and Genovich broke down crying in the plane.
That's when a woman named Mary turned to Genovich and claimed she would help the mother and her baby get to Florida. Once both women had deboarded the plane, they ran to the Southwest Airlines gate to catch an alternate flight.
The ticket agent working at the Southwest gate was informed of the situation and told Genovich that there was room for her on the flight, but the ticket price was $400. Instantly, the friendly passenger named Mary volunteered to pay the airfare.
Despite Genovich's insistence that she pay for her own airfare, the woman told her it was a Thanksgiving and Christmas gift and that she could pay her back by focusing on her baby, mother and father.
Genovich arrived in Orlando in the afternoon and made it to the hospital to see her mother just before visiting hours were over. Upon landing, Genovich also received an email from the ticket agent who helped her at the Southwest gate, wishing her and her family best wishes during the tough time.
After such an inspirational story, Genovich wrapped it up with her overall thoughts:
"Now I want to publicly express my gratitude for these random acts of kindness. I want to thank Mary for her selflessness and generosity and Southwest Airlines for their unparalleled customer service. This was more than customer service-this was customer care-and it is truly worth more to me than I can express. When I booked my siblings' tickets to Florida today, I made sure to book with Southwest Airlines."
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