Flight attendants are the unsung heroes of the airline business. While they tend to passenger’s every need in the skies, they’re also highly trained and willing to put their own lives on the line to keep others safe.
Sharon Radcliffe had always had a healthy respect for flight attendants, but a recent experience on a Delta Airlines flight from Detroit to Nashville left her completely in awe of one outstanding member of the flight crew.
Sharon, a registered nurse from Marquette, Michigan, immediately went home and wrote about her experience on Facebook.
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Sharon explained that at the beginning of her flight, she noticed flight attendant Jeffery Jones of Atlanta, Georgia, speaking to an elderly passenger. The woman was visibly trembling, a symptom of the neurodegenerative disease Parkinson’s disease.
Facebook
“He noticed that a lady in coach class had Parkinson’s disease. And without blinking an eye, he went to her and guided her – by the hand – to a free seat in first class! Like WHAT???? A colleague of mine who was also on the flight, helped him get her into first class.”
PX Here
Sharon went on to explain that Jeffery doted on the woman throughout the flight. He’d escorted her to first class specifically so that he could keep a close eye on her and be quick to respond to her needs.
“For the ENTIRE flight I could see him checking in on her, patting her back. helping her get up, walking her (holding hands) up and down the aisle and generally ‘mother hen-ing’ her.”
Facebook
“When I got off the plane, this is what I told Jeffrey. ‘I am a nurse, and I am so impressed with how you took care of that lady. My mother is a very young 70 years old and is a newly diagnosed Parkinson’s patient. I hope one day someone treats her as well as you treated that lady!'”
After Sharon posted her photos of Jeffery to Facebook, her story went viral and was shared thousands of times.
Delta Airlines praised their employee for going above and beyond to make sure this passenger was safe and cared for. The airline used Jeff’s story in their corporate communications to showcase the kind of exemplary service they hope to encourage in all of their employees.
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Jeffery himself says he’s humbled by all of the love that’s now coming his way, responding on his own Facebook page:
“Thank you to the wonderful nurse, passenger, and new friend Sharon for posting her perspective of this experience on Facebook. All of the positive comments, shares, feedback, etc have been an amazing and humbling experience for me.
And thank you to Delta for showcasing my story….which happens to be one of thousands upon thousands of the good deeds and hearts we as flight attendants perform and share everyday in and out of the air.”
What a wonderful young man. Please share this story to inspire kindness, both in the skies, and here on the ground.
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