In a world where kindness often seems in short supply, a heartwarming tale of compassion and understanding unfolds in the skies.
Alexa Bjornson was more than a little anxious when she sent her 7-year-old son, Landon, on a solo flight to visit his dad in Portland, Oregon.
The reason? Landon has autism, and flying can be a particularly challenging experience for him.
To help ease her worries and assist whoever would be sitting next to her son, Alexa penned a note explaining Landon’s condition and tucked a $10 bill inside as a small token of gratitude.
The note was Alexa’s way of giving a heads-up to Landon’s seatmate.
It detailed that Landon has high-functioning autism and might frequently ask, “Are we there yet?” during the flight.
Alexa’s intention was to offer some context for her son’s behavior, hoping it would make the journey smoother for everyone involved.
She included the $10 as a ‘thank you’ for the person’s patience and companionship towards Landon.
Alexa’s primary concern was her son’s well-being during the flight from Las Vegas to Portland.
She told a local news outlet, KATU, “I thought, how do I make it so whoever’s sitting next to him won’t look at him as a burden but more of like, I can help this kiddo get through the day.”
As fate would have it, Landon’s seatmate turned out to be Ben Pedraza, a man whose kindness would soon make headlines.
Ben and Landon quickly struck up a rapport.
“We were cracking jokes, and after a while, he asked me to quit making dad jokes,” Ben recounted.
Landon handed over the note and the $10 bill to Ben, but Ben had no intention of keeping the money.
Instead, he was more than happy to keep Landon company.
The two even snapped a selfie together, capturing the moment.
At the end of the flight, Ben took it upon himself to send Alexa a photo of him and Landon, along with a reassuring message.
“Landon did ask if we were there yet several times, but he was a great travel buddy. We had a good time and played a few rounds of rock-paper-scissors,” Ben wrote.
But Ben’s kindness didn’t stop there.
He donated the $10 to The Autism Society, in honor of Landon.
Alexa was so moved by Ben’s actions that she couldn’t help but share the uplifting story on her Facebook page.
The post quickly went viral, amassing over 17,000 shares and 45,000 likes.
People were deeply touched by Ben’s compassionate approach and his willingness to make Landon’s journey a pleasant one.
Comments poured in, praising Ben for his extraordinary kindness and for proving that good people still exist in this world.
This heartwarming tale serves as a beautiful reminder that even in a world filled with challenges, acts of kindness can make all the difference.
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