Delta Airlines praised for holding flight to allow daughter time with dying mother

since they delayed her flight so she could spend time with her mother before she passed away.

"They helped her out, and I'd like to know who they were," she began, thinking it was too wonderful a story to keep to herself.

At the time, her mother, Kathleen Nelson, was in hospital with "undiagnosed pneumonia" and was doing great after her surgery. However, White said she got a call from her brother who told her that her mom's body had gone into a serious state of infection and shock. She was told that "family needed to come and see her right away" because the doctors weren't sure "what was going on or how long she'd be like that."

White's flight from Dallas, Texas, needed a connection in Minneapolis, Minnesota, but because of "mechanical issues" her plane was delayed at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport for over an hour, so there was a chance she'd miss her connecting flight and wasn't sure if she'd still get to see her mother before she passed away.

She explained the situation to a flight attendant, who informed her that she wouldn't be able to catch her flight in Minneapolis and had been rebooked for a flight the next day instead.

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However, the pilot on the initial flight contacted the pilot on the plane awaiting White at the connecting airport, who was agreeable to keeping the flight from taking off until she could arrive.

The flight crew upgraded White's seat, allowing her to disembark more quickly. They even made an announcement over the intercom to clear the way for her to exit the plane first. The gentleman sitting beside her in first class pulled out a map of the Minneapolis airport to help her navigate her layover and find her connecting flight.

After the Minneapolis flight waited for 30 minutes, White managed to board the plane and arrived at her destination on schedule.

My mom passed away the day after, though Delta's kindness extended our time together by 24 hours. I was able to tell her one last time 'I love you' and provide comfort in her final moments, just as she had done for me my entire life," she said in her TikTok post, thanking the airline for giving her "the gift of time.

Since the video was first posted, it has racked up over 10 million views, with plenty of people flocking to the comments to lavish praise on the kindness she displayed.

“Those individuals who were busy creating this mapping of the airport and those who stopped the clock so you could have those twenty-four hours, it really puts a truth in my perspective on humanity.”

Another commenter chimed in, saying, "I'm aware that many are thanking the crew, but I keep thinking about the first flight attendant you mentioned. Some may not have even considered asking. I'm very relieved she took the lead and the others listened."

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