Fear Of Flying
Having a fear of flying is a very common fear. Some people panic only during takeoff and landing, while others are in a state of panic throughout the entire flight. Erika Jeorgean Swart was taking a trip from Orlando to Newark with her three children. Her daughter Gabby had been on a plane in the past, and she never had any issues. This was why she was shocked that suddenly, her daughter had a fear of flying.
Flying Alone With Three Children
Anyone who has ever flown with children knows that it isn’t easy. Erika’s husband wasn’t with her on the flight, so it was up to her to make sure that all three of her children behaved during the flight. When Gabby started to panic at the beginning of the flight, she knew that it wasn’t going to the peaceful, relaxing flight that she had hoped for.
Type 1 Diabetes
Erika was worried about her daughter’s fear and panic for a good reason. Her daughter was suffering from type 1 diabetes. She required insulin to keep her stable and getting worked up often make her symptoms come on fast and severe.
Panic Attack
When the flight took off, Erika became worried about her daughter. She was crying, and she began hyperventilating. At first, Erika was worried that the other passengers were bothered by Gabby’s panic attack. A few minutes after she started to panic, a Southwest flight attendant came over to Erika and her children. Erika worried at first that the flight attendant was coming over to tell her to control her daughter. The attendant introduced himself as Garrick. Rather than speaking to Erika, he spoke directly to Gabby.
Garrick
Garrick had been working for Southwest Airlines for a few years before this incident. He had seen people who were afraid to fly in the past but none as young as Gabby. He told her that she was safe and he would make sure of it. He asked Gabby if he could sit down beside her and she said yes.
Special Drink
Gabby had her new friend by her side, but she was still panicking. Erika started to worry when she noticed that her daughter’s blood sugar level was crashing. She said that during moments of extreme stress, her blood sugar level could crash which can be deadly. When this happened, Garrick got up from his seat and walked down the aisle. Erika thought that he had to get back to work until he walked toward Gabby with an orange juice. It was exactly what her blood sugar needed.
Holding On
When Garrick returned to the seat by Gabby, she drank her juice and medically, she was feeling better. Emotionally, she was still a wreck. Garrick asked her if she wanted to hold onto his arm for safety and she did so immediately. Throughout the whole flight, Garrick told Gabby stories to try to keep her mind off the flight and her fear. He was doing well, and she started feeling better. He told her about his daughter who was her age, and he asked her about
Turbulence
Gabby was doing very well when. Toward the end of the flight, the weather was rough, and there was turbulence. Gabby was calming down, but when this happened, she had a full-blown panic attack. Garrick saw the sudden change, and he told her to squeeze his arm as hard as she needed to. Finally, the plane landed, and Gabby felt safe. When the plane landed, Garrick went to the intercom and told the passengers that his new friend, Gabby, had conquered her fear of flying. He asked the other passengers to give her a round of applause. When everyone on the plane began clapping, Gabby was smiling from ear to ear.
Thanking Garrick
When Erika and her girls were off the plane, she decided to share her story on Facebook. She wanted to make sure that Garrick got the credit that he deserved. In her post, she told the whole story about what Garrick did for Gabby from being her seatmate to getting her a glass of orange juice when she so desperately needed it.
Southwest Thanks Garrick
The Southwest officials saw Erika’s post, and they responded with a post of their own. They thanked Garrick for the great job that he did on the flight. In the post, they wrote, “It warms our heart to see such kindness and caring from one of our amazing flight attendants. Rest assured, Garrick gets recognition and deserves it for his kindness.” What Garrick did for Gabby that day was incredible. Erika says that she will never forget what this amazing man did for her daughter.
YouTube Description
Today, it is not uncommon to hear horror stories about airlines and even some flight attendants. This story and the flight attendant in question has shown the world that there are flight attendants out there who will go above and beyond the call of duty.
When a young girl began having a panic attack right after her flight took off, a flight attendant on the flight named Garrick, did everything that he could to calm her down.
This story is absolutely amazing, and it shows that there are people out there who are kind. This man did everything that he could to help calm the young girl with type 1 diabetes. Even during rough weather and turbulence, Garrick managed to keep the young girl calm. He deserves all of the recognition that he has received.
