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'You Didn't Owe Me Anything': Woman In Tears After Stranger’s Help On Plane

May 8, 2025

A woman is sharing her emotional story of kindness after a stranger on a flight helped her make it to her grandfather’s bedside just in time to say goodbye.

Hailey, 31, was flying last minute from San Antonio, Texas, to Moses Lake, Washington, on May 1 after learning that her grandfather had been placed on comfort care. Desperate to be with him, she had booked her flight just hours before takeoff. But as her connection in Denver approached, panic set in—she realized she didn’t have much time to reach her next flight.

That’s when a stranger stepped in.

The woman sitting beside Hailey hadn’t spoken the entire flight, but noticed something was wrong. When she asked what was going on, Hailey briefly explained the situation. Without hesitation, the woman stood up in the aisle and loudly asked everyone to make room so Hailey could get off the plane quickly.

Thanks to her efforts, Hailey made her connecting flight—and made it to her grandfather’s side that night and again the next day.

“I got to tell my grandfather how much I loved him,” Hailey shared through tears on TikTok. “And he got to tell me back... when he made his way to be with the Lord today, I was there. And it was because you made that happen.”

Within 24 hours, the internet helped track down the compassionate stranger. Her name is Katie—and fittingly, she’s a hospice nurse.