How a Delta crew helped reunite a mother and daughter for a final goodbye

By Julianna Bragg, CNN

(CNN) — Hannah White booked a flight in a desperate attempt to say goodbye to her mother before her expected passing.

In October, White’s mother had been in critical condition because of undiagnosed pneumonia that rapidly progressed into septic shock. Doctors notified White’s family that her mother, Kathleen Nelson, had little time left but couldn’t provide a more specific timeline based on her condition.

In a race against the clock, White booked a flight to the Bismarck Municipal Airport in North Dakota. However, because of the city’s small size and limited flight options, she could not depart until the following day.

“I immediately started panicking, already having waited a day to see her, we weren’t sure if she was going to make it,” White said.

On one of the most challenging days of White’s life, she found peace in the generosity and determination of several Delta Air Lines employees who went to great lengths to ensure that she was able to spend another precious 24 hours with her mom.

White’s story, which she posted on TikTok in December, has gone viral, attracting more than 10 million views and more than 27,000 comments from people sharing similar experiences and offering their sympathy.

Going the extra mile

White boarded her scheduled Delta flight in Dallas, and as she anxiously awaited takeoff, the pilot notified the passengers of a delay because of technical issues. With only an hour-long layover before her connecting flight in Minneapolis, she knew she would not make it in time.

She eventually built up the courage to share her situation with one of the flight attendants, Eva Ortiz, in hopes there might be a solution. Ortiz explained that Delta’s automatic rebooking system had already secured the next available flight option — which would not depart until the following morning.

“I obviously wasn’t upset with her, but as she explained it to me, I immediately started crying,” White said. “I just felt anxious thinking about my mom being alone … and (Ortiz) shed a few tears with me, apologized and gave me some tissues.”

More than an hour later, Ortiz came back with an unexpected message.

She had informed the pilot, Captain Keith Napolitano, of White’s situation. Napolitano personally called the Delta dispatchers to see if they could possibly hold White’s connecting flight. Mercifully, they did.

“The stars don’t always align where I have the immediate ability to affect the outcome, but this was one of those cases where I felt it was possible,” Napolitano told CNN Travel.

Napolitano was just one of the crew members involved in the process. Since none of the passengers on White’s Minneapolis transfer had tight connections that evening, the team, which included Ortiz, the connecting flight’s pilot and several dispatchers, worked together to ensure White could be reunited with her mom as quickly as possible.

“I was overwhelmed with joy because I had accepted that I wasn’t going to see my mom until the following day,” White said.

Another crew member traveling as a passenger on the flight even suggested White take his seat at the front of the plane so she could exit faster. Others sitting nearby pulled up airport maps to help White find the fastest route to her gate.

A priceless gift

Once the plane landed, White was quickly escorted off first. Overcome with emotion, she sprinted across the airport, tears streaming down her face.

“As I was running to my gate, I was thinking about the fact that (my mom) would be running across the country for me, too,” White said. “She would run over broken glass to be there for me and my brother.”

When White boarded her connecting flight, she was welcomed by the smiling faces of the new Delta crew and passengers all eager to assist her on her journey back to her mom.

White and the rest of her family members made it to the hospital, and they had another day to spend with her mother before she passed. The extra time they shared, made possible by the quick planning of the Delta crew, became a priceless gift she will always cherish.

“I don’t think any of them really know the gratitude that I have for them for giving me some extra time with my mom or just being nice to me on one of the worst days of my life,” she said.

White and her mother shared an incredibly close bond, a connection that White will continue to hold onto now that she’s gone.

“My mom was the love of my life,” said White. “I know everyone says that about their mother, but she was truly the epitome of grace, class, kindness, patience and unconditional love.”

Beyond her gratitude for the Delta staff, she also acknowledged appreciation for the kind strangers who offered their support through gestures such as caring smiles or words of encouragement.

“I feel eternally grateful to them,” she said. “It wasn’t one person who did one huge thing, it was a lot of people doing a really nice thing.”

‘Looking for the goodness in others’

After losing her mother, White wanted to believe that there was some purpose in her family’s grief. But when she first took the time to post the TikTok, she didn’t realize how much comfort it would bring others navigating the death of a loved one.

“I hope this reminds us all to look for the goodness in others,” White said.

Though stories about air travel often make headlines for causing frustrations, Napolitano hopes White’s story reminds people there are many more good things happening in airports each day.

But seeing how acts of kindness turn out is unusual, he said.

“It’s so rare that we ever get to see the results or hear how it ended,” Napolitano said. “In my opinion, it’s humbling and beautiful to see the end result of this.”

Correction: A previous version of this story mischaracterized the chain of events that led to holding White’s flight.

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