Leslie was a flight attendant with a pounding headache from a wild night out in Atlanta. As she boarded a cross-country flight, her colleague Amy teased her for partying too hard the night before.
“I just need to get through this flight, and maybe catch up on some rest before hitting up L.A.,” Leslie joked.
But during the flight, something strange happened.
While passing the lavatory, Leslie heard a faint cry — like a child whimpering. At first, she thought it was her imagination. But the sound came again.
She opened the bathroom door and found a small boy curled up on the floor, sobbing into his chest.
“Don’t do that!” she gasped, startled. “What are you doing in here?”
The boy sniffled and looked up. “My name’s Ben.”
Leslie helped him up and led him to a crew seat. She tried to find his name on the passenger list — but he wasn’t there.
Ben explained through tears that he had followed what he thought was his mom onto the plane. But it wasn’t her. He had a bag clutched tightly in his arms — it was his grandmother’s medicine, the one thing keeping her alive.
“I wanted to be the hero,” he cried. “Now I’m the baddie. Granny’s going to die because of me.”
Leslie’s heart sank. She contacted the authorities, and when the plane landed in Los Angeles, she found out she’d have to look after Ben until his family could be located.
That meant no clubbing. No fun. Just babysitting a scared little boy in a hotel room.
As they sat eating pizza, Leslie got a call from home — her own son, Joe, was sick. The doctors suspected a rare genetic disorder and wanted her to come home for tests.
Leslie broke down in tears. She hadn’t seen Joe in over a month, and now he might be seriously ill.
Ben, hearing her cry, handed her the medicine bag.
“If I can’t save my granny,” he whispered, “maybe this can help your Joe.”
Leslie was overwhelmed. Then she made a decision — she would get Ben back to his family in Seattle, and then go home to Missoula to be with her own son.
She booked a ticket for Ben at her own expense and accompanied him on the next flight.
In Seattle, Ben was reunited with his tearful family. His mom hugged him tightly and promised never to take him for granted again.
Leslie returned home to find her son, Joe, very ill. The days that followed were filled with tests, worry, and mounting medical bills.
But then, something miraculous happened.
Ben’s family showed up at her door — with a check for over $100,000.
They had started a crowdfunding campaign for his grandmother’s treatment, but after she passed, they decided to give the money to Leslie and Joe instead.
Tears streamed down her face. With the funds, she could afford the best care for her son.
A month later, Joe was healthy again.
And Leslie? She made sure to thank Ben and his family by getting them lifetime flight discounts from her airline.