Hannah White broke down in her seat on a delayed flight, fearing she would miss a connecting flight to see her dying mother. Then, something extraordinary happened.
DALLAS — As the new year begins, some are looking forward to the future, while others are navigating the challenges of the present.
For Hannah White, 2025 begins with the memory of a heartwarming act of kindness during one of the most difficult times of her life.
“She was the most amazing woman,” White said.
In the fall, White received devastating news: her mother, Kathleen Nelson, had fallen critically ill in North Dakota. Doctors suggested White come to Nelson’s bedside as soon as possible because they did not know how much longer she’d be alive.
White immediately booked the earliest flight out of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport to Bismarck, with a connecting flight in Minneapolis.
However, delays on her Delta Airlines flight turned seconds into minutes, and minutes into the crushing reality that she might miss her connecting flight. Overwhelmed with emotion, Hannah broke down in her seat, unsure if she’d make it in time.
White asked a flight attendant for advice, and the flight attendant took White’s story to the pilot.
Remorseful, the flight attendant delivered the news that White would miss her connecting flight to her mother.
“I just started crying in my seat,” White said.
Then, something extraordinary happened. White learned that her pilot had arranged for her connecting flight to wait for her in Minneapolis.
White would make it to North Dakota after all.
When White’s delayed flight finally landed, she sprinted through the airport, encouraged by the efforts of those who held the connecting plane for her – but desperate to get to her mom.
“I just thought of her and how she would do that for me,” White said. “She would run over broken glass to be there for me.”
White shared the story of Delta’s efforts in a viral TikTok where she thanked everyone involved. Through the power of social media, White learned the name of the initial pilot who helped her.
What she did not know was how her story affected the airlines crew.
Captain Keith Napolitano, the pilot of White’s connecting flight, played a crucial role.
With the help of Delta Airlines and WFAA, Capt. Napolitano later sent White a heartfelt message: “Hannah, I want to give you my deepest condolences.”
Capt. Napolitano was able to tell White in greater detail who helped him secure her connecting flight.
“If it weren’t for my wonderful flight attendants showing concern and bringing your flight to my attention, and if not for the very quick and fast-acting dispatchers who were instantly responsive and very empathetic to the urgency of your situation, and if not for the captain on the ground being willing and able to hold the flight, this story clearly could have had a much different ending,” Capt. Napolitano said.
“I am beyond grateful that we were able to give you just a little more time with your mother,” Napolitano added.
Hannah made it to North Dakota and spent her mother’s final hours by her side. Her mother passed away the next day.
White was the last family member to be with her, her final words to her mother: “I love you.”
“It was one of the most beautiful experiences of human kindness,” White said of Delta Airlines. “None of them knew how each small act added up to one of the most important moments of my life — to be there with my mom.”
White’s story serves as a poignant reminder of the power of compassion and how simple acts of kindness can make a world of difference. White said she hopes others will hear this story and learn to look for the goodness in people.