United Airlines praised by mother for letting her autistic son sit in first class
‘United really showed up tonight and helped us through this flight’
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Your support makes all the difference.A mother has praised United Airlines after cabin crew let her autistic son sit in the aisle and in first class during a flight from San Diego to Houston.
Lori Gabriel shared her experience of flying with the airline on Facebook, asking people to share that “United really showed up tonight and helped us through this flight.”
Gabriel noted that her four-year-old son Braysen normally loves to fly, but “didn’t have such a good flight home”.
He started having a “meltdown” prior to takeoff, she told Fox News: “It was time for take off and Braysen had slipped out of his seatbelt and he wanted to sit on the floor. So, we were trying to get him back into his chair and get his seatbelt back on, and that’s when he had his meltdown and started kicking, screaming and hitting.”
She wrote that it was “impossible” to get him to stay seated because he wanted to sit in the aisle and the first class section of the aircraft.
“Huge thank you to United Airlines, they accommodated his needs, made sure we were all OK, worked around where he choose to sit,” wrote Ms Gabriel in a heartfelt post.
She also commended several other passengers who helped the family during the flight.
One woman, an off-duty United employee, even penned Ms Gabriel a supportive hand-written note, a picture of which she shared online.
It reads: “I commend you for your strength. Do not ever let anyone make you feel as though you are an inconvenience or a burden.
“He is a blessing. God bless your patience, your love, your support and your strength.
“Continue to be Superwoman.”
The woman has since been identified as Camille Vaughn, after she saw the Facebook post and replied: “Blessed to see this. Blessed to have met your family and made a difference. Thank you for sharing and I hope to one day see you again #Superwoman.”
Gabriel also thanked “the man in first class seat 6C” for playing with Braysen “and not minding him kicking your seat or messing with you!”
She wrote that her son “loved your high fives”.
“I just never had so many strangers be so kind,” Gabriel told Fox News.
“It shows me that there are still good people in the world. It shows me that me and my family can go on vacations, we can go where all other families go. We can go anywhere, theme parks, we can do anything anyone else can because there are people who are caring and understanding.”
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