Southwest flight crew throws new parents surprise baby shower mid-flight: 'It was so overwhelmingly emotional'
Dustin Moore and his wife Caren had been trying to have children for nine years. On Nov. 1 in Colorado, their adopted daughter was born. A week later the Moores were bringing their little bundle of joy home to California on a Southwest flight, when at 35,000 feet something unexpected happened: a baby shower.
“I just remember the entire day I was really nervous about traveling home,” Moore tells Yahoo Lifestyle, saying he fretted over paperwork and traveling with a baby so little. “We'd been trying to have kids for about nine years and finally having our daughter and finally going home — it was a culmination of a wild experience that my wife and I had been been looking forward to for a very long time.”
When they finally boarded the flight to Long Beach, the Moores got more than just a smooth trip home. Moore shared the entire beautiful journey in a 13-part Twitter story earlier this month, mentioning two flight attendants in particular — Jenny and Bobby — who brought all the passengers on the flight together to celebrate the growing Moore family.
“Jenny and another passenger complimented my beautiful daughter and politely asked what had prompted a flight with such a young infant,” Moore tweeted. “I gave them the shortened adoption story, to which they hastily offered congratulations, and shared a few more kind remarks.”
Moore tweeted that roughly 10 minutes later, “we heard the intercom. The attendant Bobby came on and announced a special guest on the flight. Our daughter. ‘She’s just been adopted by her parents Caren and Dustin, and is making her way home.’ The entire cabin erupted in cheers and applause.”
“It was almost like signs in the cabin had come on for ‘applause,’” Moore tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “It was so overwhelmingly emotional for my wife and I. The many, many years we hadn’t been able to have kids. It was indescribably powerful for me. My wife just started crying.”
The crew then passed out napkins and pens for anyone on board to write down their advice for the new mom and dad. “By the time we got to our destination they had bundled up our napkins in a barf bag,” Moore says with a laugh. The couple saved all the napkins they received in a photo album put together by Moore’s mom.
“What all of those perfect strangers and attendants did not know, was the emotionally tender state of two brand-new parents. Parents who after nine years of trying had been blessed with their first child. Parents who felt scared, but determined in their new role,” Moore wrote on Twitter.
It’s been a difficult week.
But, rather than publicly air my grievances, I’d like to share w/ you the kindness strangers offered us the day we brought our daughter home.
I hope our story uplifts you, and reminds you there is goodness to be had in this world.
A thread... /1— Dustin Moore, MS, RD (@theamericanrd) February 9, 2020
Not too long ago, my wife and I boarded a @SouthwestAir flight with our recently adopted infant daughter.
W/ clearance to return home to California, my wife carried our precious bundle, while I offered numerous apologies to passengers while maneuvering the aisle with 4 bags. /2— Dustin Moore, MS, RD (@theamericanrd) February 9, 2020
About mid flight, our daughter awoke and politely informed us she wanted a new new diaper. After inquiring about space for a table change, a thoughtful flight attendant (named Jenny) cleared a space in the back of the plane and gave us privacy. /3
— Dustin Moore, MS, RD (@theamericanrd) February 9, 2020
After a change, Jenny and another passenger complimented my beautiful daughter and politely asked what had prompted a flight with such a young infant.
I gave them the shortened adoption story, to which they hastily offered congratulations, and shared a few more kind remarks. /4— Dustin Moore, MS, RD (@theamericanrd) February 9, 2020
About 10 minutes later, another attendant (named Bobby) greeted us w/ a warm smile, and inquired about our daughter.
We repeated the story w/ a few details, and he congratulated us before walking away. My wife and I exchanged curious looks, but thought nothing more about it. /5— Dustin Moore, MS, RD (@theamericanrd) February 9, 2020
Then, we heard the intercom. The attendant Bobby came on and announced a special guest on the flight. Our daughter. “She’s just been adopted by her parents Caren and Dustin, and is making her way home.”
The entire cabin erupted in cheers and applause. /6— Dustin Moore, MS, RD (@theamericanrd) February 9, 2020
He then shared that the crew would pass out pens and napkins to everyone, and anybody who wanted to share a word of advice or encouragement for our family was welcome to do so.
We sat in speechless gratitude, as people kept peeking over their chairs to congratulate us. /7— Dustin Moore, MS, RD (@theamericanrd) February 9, 2020
The crew gathered the napkins, then read a few of their favorites over the intercom.
“Rub each other’s feet, and rub the baby’s feet.”
“Make time for date night.”
“Always tell her you love her.”
“Enjoy every minute. It goes by sooo very fast.”
“Drink lots of wine!” /8— Dustin Moore, MS, RD (@theamericanrd) February 9, 2020
One more round of cheers came through.
Then, Bobby and Jenny approached us with the napkins bundled up (about 60 of them), w/ a set of pilot wings for our daughter. We learned they were married, and that someone had done a similar act for them on their honeymoon flight. /9— Dustin Moore, MS, RD (@theamericanrd) February 9, 2020
When I had spoken w/ Jenny, she thought it was a perfect opportunity to pay forward the kind act they had been shown on their honeymoon.
Even as we disembarked, people kept approaching us and wishing us well, and complimenting our beautiful daughter. Our hearts were full. /10— Dustin Moore, MS, RD (@theamericanrd) February 9, 2020
But theres more. What all of those perfect strangers and attendants did not know, was the emotionally tender state of two brand-new parents. Parents who after 9 years of trying had been blessed with their first child. Parents who felt scared, but determined in their new role. /11
— Dustin Moore, MS, RD (@theamericanrd) February 9, 2020
The outpouring of love from that flight, brought on by the actions of two thoughtfully observant flight attendants... it exceeds my ability to describe what it meant to us. How much those wings and written notes uplifted two new parents determined to love their new daughter. /12
— Dustin Moore, MS, RD (@theamericanrd) February 9, 2020
This website is used oft as a means to share what’s wrong.
I hope you’ll take time to share what is good. In a world of turmoil, don’t forget to showcase the Bobby’s and Jenny’s, the kind strangers out there.
And if they don’t cross your path, be one. Seek good, or create it. pic.twitter.com/XMxkJXkh18— Dustin Moore, MS, RD (@theamericanrd) February 9, 2020
The little family is settling in well in California and the baby girl is already sleeping six hours straight a night.
“It’s just the best thing in the world to sit with my daughter and hang out with her,” Moore says of being a dad. “She’s in the ‘coo’ phase now.”
“For my wife, given the fact of all of the infertility and pregnancies we lost— for two people who wondered if we'd have kids, just to have all these people be happy for us and celebrate for us — it was just unbelievably powerful for the two of us,” Moore says. “We may never see any of those people again but that gesture of those people we'll remember that forever. We'll never forget that.”
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