Leslie, a flight attendant, was terrified when she heard a strange noise coming from the airplane restroom during an international flight. She had no idea that the child inside would change her life forever.
A Startling Discovery
Leslie rubbed her temple as she walked toward the plane. A throbbing headache reminded her of the night she had spent partying at one of Atlanta’s trendiest clubs.
“Amy!” Leslie called out to her fellow flight attendant. “Please tell me you have some headache pills.”
Amy glanced at her and rolled her eyes. “Of course, I do, but you really should know better than to party the night before a flight.”
“What else am I supposed to do? Visit museums?” Leslie sighed. “At least partying helps me take my mind off things.”
Amy gave her a knowing look before they boarded the plane together.
“One day, things will get better for you, Leslie,” Amy said. “You just have to have faith.”
Once on board, Leslie and Amy got straight to work, assisting with passenger boarding, demonstrating safety procedures, and ensuring everyone was seated comfortably. Afterward, Leslie headed to the galley to take her headache pills.
“I wonder if Amy would let me take a short nap in the crew rest area,” she thought. But before she could ask, a strange noise stopped her in her tracks.
Leslie paused, listening intently. A second later, she convinced herself she had imagined it. Maybe Amy was right—she was partying too much. She had already planned to hit several clubs in L.A., but perhaps she should reconsider.
As she walked past the restroom door, she heard a high-pitched whimper again. It couldn’t be a cat—there was no way a cat was on board. It had to be a child crying.
Leslie knocked on the restroom door. When no one responded, she cautiously opened it—and let out a scream.
A Child in the Restroom
The noise that had frightened Leslie turned out to be a young boy. He was crying, his eyes filled with tears.
“Don’t ever do that again!” Leslie gasped, still recovering from the shock.
“What are you doing here?”
The boy curled up on the floor, sobbing harder. Once Leslie regained her composure, she felt a wave of sympathy for him. She crouched down to his level.
“I’m sorry for yelling,” she said gently. “You just scared me. My name is Leslie. What’s yours?”
The boy sniffled. “I’m Ben.”
Leslie helped him stand up and let him sit in a crew seat while she checked the passenger list for his name. He must have been traveling alone for the first time, and he didn’t seem to be handling it well.
Leslie frowned as she scanned the list again. Ben’s name wasn’t on it!
A Desperate Mission
It had been a long time since Leslie had comforted a child. The thought made her homesick, but now wasn’t the time for that. She sat next to Ben and placed a reassuring hand on his arm.
“Ben, sweetheart, are you lost? I can help you if you tell me where your family is.”
Ben let out another sob, clutching a paper bag tightly to his chest. Leslie noticed it and felt a surge of anxiety. She had heard too many horror stories about dangerous substances being smuggled onto planes.
“What’s in that bag, Ben?” she asked cautiously.
“They’re my grandma’s medicines,” he said between sniffles. “She’s going to die without them, and it’ll be my fault!”
Over the next few hours, Leslie gently coaxed the full story out of Ben.
He was the youngest in a big family. While his older brothers spent their time playing sports and roughhousing, Ben dreamed of becoming a scientist.
But his mother didn’t appreciate his curiosity. She never praised his ambitions the way she celebrated his brothers’ achievements.
“I just want her to look at me with the same love and pride she gives my brothers,” Ben said tearfully. “That’s why I stole Grandma’s medicine.”
When Ben’s grandmother fell ill, the family decided to visit her in Seattle and bring her the medicine she needed. But in the chaos at the airport, Ben got separated from them. He saw a woman he thought was his mother and followed her onto the plane.
“But she wasn’t my mom,” Ben wailed. “And now I’m on the wrong flight. I wanted to be the hero who saved Grandma, but now I’m the villain. She’s going to die because of me.”
An Unexpected Responsibility
When the plane landed in Los Angeles, Leslie alerted the appropriate authorities. She felt terrible for Ben but was ready to move on with her life. However, what happened next left her stunned.
Due to airline regulations, Leslie was now responsible for Ben until further arrangements were made. Instead of going out to the clubs she had planned to visit, she was now babysitting.
That night, Leslie ordered pizza for them both and checked her phone, only to receive a call that turned her world upside down.
“Mom, what do you mean Joe is sick?” Leslie’s stomach twisted. “What happened? He was fine last time we spoke. Did you take him to the doctor?”
“Yes,” her mother replied. “They referred us to a specialist. They suspect it might be a genetic condition and may need you to come in for tests since you’re his mother.”
Leslie’s heart clenched. “Whatever it takes, as long as Joe gets better.”
After the call, Leslie curled up and cried. She longed to hold her son, to run her fingers through his soft curls, and to whisper that everything would be okay. But Joe was far away, and her flight schedule hadn’t allowed her to visit home in over a month. She had tried to numb the ache by partying and drinking, but nothing could fill the void.
Ben approached her hesitantly and placed a hand on her arm.
“Miss Leslie?” he said, holding out the bag of medicine. “I think you should take this for Joe.”
Leslie felt fresh tears welling up.
“If I can’t save Grandma, at least I can help you,” Ben said earnestly. “Take it so he can get better.”
Leslie smiled through her tears. “I have a better idea,” she said, grabbing her phone. “I’m taking you to your grandmother in Seattle, and then I’m going home to Missoula to see my son.”
A Life-Changing Gesture
Leslie paid for Ben’s ticket out of pocket and arranged to accompany him on his flight. When they arrived in Seattle, Ben was terrified.
“What if Grandma is already gone because of my mistake?” he whispered. “Mom will never love me again.”
Leslie ruffled his hair. “Parents always love their children, Ben. I’m sure your mom is just worried about you.”
When Ben reunited with his family, his mother hugged and kissed him repeatedly, proving Leslie right. Watching them, she vowed never to neglect her own child again.
Unfortunately, her reunion with Joe wasn’t as joyful. He looked pale and frail, much worse than she remembered. Leslie spent days reviewing test results with her mother, feeling helpless and guilty.
As Joe’s condition worsened, Leslie asked for more time off, but the airline refused to pay her leave. With mounting medical bills and no income, Leslie and her mother were running out of options.
Then, one day, a knock at the door changed everything.
It was Ben, standing with his family.
“I have something for you and Joe,” Ben said, handing her an envelope.
Inside was a check for over $100,000.
“We started a crowdfunding campaign for Grandma,” Ben’s mother explained tearfully. “But she… she didn’t make it. We decided to give the money to you instead.”
Overwhelmed with gratitude, Leslie hugged Ben tightly. “This is the greatest gift I’ve ever received. I just hope it’s enough.”
“It will be,” Ben said confidently. “And when Joe gets better, I’ll come back and play with him.”
A month later, thanks to the treatments funded by Ben’s family’s generosity, Joe made a full recovery.
Watching him play outside, Leslie smiled. It was a miracle—one she would never forget.
