The photo, captured by North Carolina resident Molly Simonson Lee and shared on Facebook, shows flight attendant Floyd Dean-Shannon sitting on the floor and holding a woman’s hand on a flight from Charlotte to JFK.
“Check out this gem of a flight attendant,” Lee said. “This woman was so nervous about flying, so he explained every sound and bump and even sat here holding her hand when it still got to be too much for her.”
Lee told Charlotte station WBTV that the woman being comforted made it clear from the start that she was anxious about flying, having not done so in a long time.
Lee told the outlet that Dean-Shannon was “exceptional” and talked the woman through a routine alarm that sounded.
“He was sort of explaining everything and about mid-flight, she had tears and obviously having a real tough time,” Lee told WBTV. “He saw that and quickly and calmly went over and sat next to her and had such warmth and calmness.”
She said Dean-Shannon spent about five to 10 minutes comforting the woman, leading to her being much more relaxed for the rest of the flight.
“He was worried about making sure she was okay. It was beautiful to me,” Lee told the outlet. “I had tears in my eyes watching. It was so kind.”
Lee ended her Facebook post by tagging Delta and writing, “Floyd Dean-Shannon deserves a raise!”
She has since launched a GoFundMe campaign for the “beautiful soul who has inspired so many.” As of Tuesday, Jan. 24, it had raised more than $700 of its $10,000 goal.
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