Young Man Holds Hand of 96-Year-Old Stranger During Flight, Brings Onlooker to Tears

A man’s act of kindness towards a frightened elderly woman is touching hearts across the country.

Megan Schofield was on a Southwest flight from San Diego to Nashville last month when she witnessed an interaction that brought her to tears. In a now-viral Facebook post (below), Schofield recalled how an elderly woman exclaimed “take my hand” to the young man seated next to her as the plane took off, and how he didn’t hesitate to grab it.

The pair, Schofield discovered, were strangers, and the 96-year-old woman was flying across the country alone to celebrate her birthday with family. She hadn’t flown in 15 years and was understandably nervous.

Fortunately, the young man beside her was more than happy to calm her fears.

“She asked for this man’s hand during takeoff and then hugged him again when experiencing turbulence. This gentleman, I should say, gladly took her hand, let her hold onto him, calmed her by talking to her and explaining everything that was happening, and simply was that stranger there for her,” Schofield wrote alongside two heartwarming photos of the pair midflight. “He knew just what to do the entire flight to help. He helped her stand up to go to the restroom and watched her carefully walk down the aisle. It made me smile the whole flight as he comforted her.”

And the young man’s kindness didn’t stop when they landed. Schofield said he held the old woman’s bag, helped her get off the plane and into the wheelchair, and then stayed by her side until she was in the care of her family.

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“I walked away sobbing happy tears being so thankful for people like this wonderful human,” Schofield concluded. “She was so grateful that she wanted him to have her flight pretzels. Hats off to you sir, for your kind heart and your compassion toward someone whom you’ve never met.”