Woman's last-minute announcement helps panicked co-passenger in 'worst possible spot' say final goodbye

Saying final goodbyes before a loved one dies can be a very essential moment for anyone. However, due to endless reasons, many people do not get that chance. Similarly, a woman named Hailey Sandman was worried that she would not get the opportunity to meet her dying grandfather, Vern Sandman, for one last time due to a tight connection flight. By the time she was in her seat, she was sure she would not reach, but then a fellow passenger stepped in to help her, per News 4 San Antonio.

Hailey learned that her grandpa was in critical condition. He didn't have much time left and she wanted to meet him to show how much he meant to her. "It was really important to me that he knew what he meant to me and I could tell him I loved him." So, Hailey decided to board a flight from Texas to Eastern Washington, where she would have to take a 25-minute connection at the Denver International Airport. "An already tight connection is even tighter, because anyone who flies in and out of Denver knows even an hour is pushing it," Hailey told WWYN TV. To make things worse, she was seated on seat number 31, by the window. "Worst possible spot to be seated if you're trying to rush off a plane."

But soon enough, a fellow passenger noticed Hailey was panicking and asked her what had happened. After knowing her story, the woman stood in the aisle and announced, "Hey, everyone! We've got a woman back here who has a super tight connection and she has to get across the terminal in the next 20 minutes. Out of nowhere, it was just like the sea parted," Hailey revealed. Because of that, she could rush to her flight and made it on time. Also, she reached the hospital right on time to see her grandfather. "When I grabbed his hand, he opened his eyes and said, 'You made it.'" Her grandpa passed away the next day.

Hailey was grateful to the passenger who made it possible for her to say goodbye to Vern. "There's nothing I can do or say that will ever be enough gratitude to her for giving me that time," Hailey remarked. But she really wanted to find the woman and thank her. So she made a video message for United Flight 280, looking for the woman who saved the day for her. The airlines eventually helped Hailey find the woman. "In my mind, I was like, if I were in her place, I would constantly be wondering if she made it." She ended up finding the woman and learned that she was a hospice nurse.

"The blessing is the fact that she is a hospice nurse and she understands without even me having to elaborate," Hailey expressed. A study from the University of Buffalo highlighted the importance of saying goodbye to a loved one in the process of coping with a loss. The study included 312 adults who had lost their loved ones. 82 percent of those who had the opportunity to say goodbye felt more optimistic about the future, compared to 60 percent who "sort of" said goodbye and 59 percent who didn't get that chance.