Pregnant mom whose toddler was having a meltdown broke down at airport—then strangers formed a circle of women around her
Moms traveling alone with their kids already have a lot to take care of. Managing kids along with luggage and all the paperwork can be a strenuous task. Beth Dunningston, a passenger at the LAX airport, witnessed one such tense situation turning into a wholesome experience during one of her trips. The woman spotted a pregnant mom with a supposedly 18-month-old toddler traveling alone. The toddler began throwing tantrums for unknown reasons and it was getting increasingly difficult for the struggling pregnant mom to look after him. Seeing the woman's dilemma, several women at the airport came to her rescue and thoughtfully managed to assist her to the plane.
Sharing what the scenario looked like, Dunningston said, “Something extraordinary at LAX today. I was at the gate, waiting for my plane to Portland. Flights to two cities were boarding on either side of the Portland fight.” She then mentioned she spotted two passengers — a mom and a toddler who “was having a total meltdown, running between the seats, kicking and screaming, then lying on the ground.” The little kid refused to board the plane. “His young mom, who was clearly pregnant and traveling alone with her son, became completely overwhelmed,” Dunningston remarked.
She noted that the mum was unable to pick her toddler up being pregnant and that made things more difficult. “He kept running away from her, then lying down on the ground, kicking and screaming again,” she added. When the mom thought nothing could be done and was flooded with emotions, she sat down, put her hands on her head and started crying. The toddler still wouldn’t stop and it seemed like a difficult time for her. Just then, hope stepped in. “Then, this gorgeous thing (I'm crying just writing this)...the women in the terminal, there must have been six or seven of us, not women who knew each other, approached and surrounded her and the little boy,” she wrote.
Dunnigston joined the woman and created a circle around the mother-son duo and tried their best to control the situation. “I sang ‘The Itsy Bitsy Spider’ to the little boy... one woman had an orange that she peeled, one woman had a little toy in her bag that she let the toddler play with, another woman gave the mom a bottle of water. Someone else helped the mom get the kid's sippy cup out of her bag and give it to him,” she poignantly recalled. Each woman, in her way, noticed where help was needed and offered the same unhesitatingly. “It was so gorgeous, there was no discussion and no one knew anyone else but we were able to calm them both down,” she remarked.
Finally, the mom and child boarded the plane they had to and the women went back to their seats. “After they went through the door, we all went back to our separate seats and didn't talk about it...we were strangers, gathering to solve something,” Dunningston noted. She learned an important lesson to carry for a lifetime. “It occurred to me that a circle of women, with a mission can save the world. I will never forget that moment,” she remarked. The story touched the hearts of many online. Alexia Carter Worsham said, "I've been that mom on the floor and had people just ignore me, it's such a lonely feeling. I'm so glad you all encircled her and her kid with love.” Andrea Filocamo Cataldo added, “A beautiful tribe of compassion.”