Anxious Mom Puts Autistic Son On First Flight Alone And Soon Receives Text From Seatmate Regarding Son's Behavior

Oct 23, 2020 by apost team

In 2019, Alexa Bjornson wrote a note for the passenger seated next to her then-7-year-old son, Landon Bjornson, who has autism, when he had to fly solo to visit his dad.

It is usually a bit intimidating for a child to travel alone on an airplane. Many parents and kids feel reluctant about them traveling alone, even on short flights.

While regulations often differ by airline, most of them will allow unaccompanied minors to fly under certain conditions beginning at age five. Those restrictions are lifted at age 15 for most airlines.

Like any parent, Alexa Bjornson was apprehensive about letting her 7-year-old son Landon fly alone from Las Vegas to Oregon to visit his dad. In addition to his young age, Landon is autistic and sometimes has difficulty traveling.

To help ease Landon’s experience, she wrote a note intended for her little boy’s seatmate that included a crisp $10 bill. According to CBS Sacramento, Alexa explained Landon’s autism, telling the stranger who would be sitting next to him that Landon might get emotional or stressed out during certain parts of the flight.

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Alexa asked the person that would be sitting next to Landon to make him feel comfortable during the flight and included her cellphone number if there was an emergency.

When Landon handed over the note and the money to his seatmate, the little boy got a cheerful response.

Ben Pedraza, who was sitting next to Landon for the flight to Oregon, was a little surprised by Alexa’s note and that she thought it was necessary to include money with it.

Nevertheless, Ben and Landon quickly bonded during the flight, joking and playing several rounds of rock-paper-scissors. When the plane landed, Ben contacted Alexa, reassuring her that Landon had a good flight and was a great travel buddy, Good Morning America shared.

Sharing pictures of Landon and him in their seats, Ben congratulated Alexa on having an amazing kid. Ben also said that he would donate the $10 included in the note to the Autism Society on Landon’s behalf.

Alexa later told of Ben and Landon’s interaction on Facebook, thanking Ben for the kindness he showed to her son. Alexa’s post later went viral, with many other parents of kids with autism sharing their own stories of traveling with their children.

Susie Cregg, whose then-5-year-old son has autism and ADHD, said that often her son will experience tantrums brought on by a plethora of triggers. Susie is happy that there are people like Ben who show kindness in a world that often seems increasingly mean.

What do you think of the way Ben helped Landon during his first flight? Isn't it heartwarming to know that there are still strangers willing to help out a person in need and even refuse to accept money for it? Let us know in the comments if you've ever had a similar experience.