Stewardess Hears Crying from Lavatory, Finds Kid Who Wasn’t on Passenger List — Story of the Day

Leslie rubbed her temple with one hand as she headed toward her plane, her head throbbing—a painful reminder of the night she had spent partying at one of Atlanta’s hottest clubs. “Amy!” Leslie called when she saw her fellow flight attendant. “Please tell me you have some headache pills?”

Amy looked at Leslie and rolled her eyes. “Of course I do, but you should know better than to party the night before a cross-country flight.”

“What else am I supposed to do, visit museums?” Leslie sighed. “At least partying keeps me distracted.”

Amy gave Leslie a friendly nudge as they boarded the plane together. “One day, everything will work out for you, Leslie,” Amy said. “Just have faith.”

Leslie and Amy quickly got to work preparing for the passengers to board, handling the safety demonstration, and ensuring everyone was settled. Finally, Leslie sneaked off to the galley to take her headache pills. “I wonder if Amy will mind if I lie down in the rest quarters for a bit,” Leslie muttered. She was about to ask when a strange sound from the bathroom stopped her in her tracks.

Leslie paused, straining to listen. A moment later, she decided it must’ve been her imagination. Maybe Amy was right—she was partying too much. Leslie had already planned to hit several clubs when they landed in L.A., but now she was reconsidering.

As Leslie passed the bathroom door, she heard a high-pitched mewling sound again. It didn’t make sense—there couldn’t be a cat on the plane, so it had to be a child crying. She knocked on the bathroom door, and when nobody replied, she opened it cautiously.

Leslie screamed as she saw a shuddering bundle inside the tiny space. Her initial fright turned to sympathy when she realized it was a young boy, his tear-filled eyes staring up at her.

“Don’t do that!” Leslie exclaimed, catching her breath. “What are you doing in here?”

The boy hugged his knees and started crying again. Now that the shock had passed, Leslie felt sorry for him. She crouched down in front of the boy. “I’m sorry I shouted,” she said softly. “You gave me a fright. I’m Leslie. What’s your name?”

The boy sniffed and replied, “My name’s Ben.”

Leslie helped Ben up and let him sit in one of the crew jump seats while she searched the passenger list for his name. It seemed like it might be his first time on a plane, and he didn’t seem to enjoy it. But when she checked the list, she frowned—his name wasn’t on it.

Sitting beside Ben, Leslie gently placed her hand on his arm. “Ben, sweetie, are you lost? I can help you if you tell me where to find your family.”

Ben sobbed, clutching a paper bag to his chest. Leslie’s nerves prickled with worry, especially with the stories she’d heard about dangerous substances being brought onto flights.

“What’s in the bag, Ben?” Leslie asked cautiously.

“It’s Granny’s medicine,” the boy replied. “She’s going to die without this medicine, and it will be all my fault!”

Over the next few hours, Leslie managed to coax the whole story out of Ben. He was the youngest in a large family and had always felt overshadowed by his older brothers, who excelled in sports. Ben, however, dreamed of becoming a scientist. His experiments at home, especially his attempts to find a cure for all diseases, had earned him more scolding than praise.

When Ben’s grandmother fell ill, the family decided to visit her in Seattle and bring her medicine. Ben had gotten separated from them at the airport but thought he spotted his mother and followed her onto the plane. “But she wasn’t my mom,” Ben wailed. “And now I’m on the wrong plane. I wanted to be the hero who gave Granny her medicine, but now I’m the baddie. She’s going to die because of me.”

Leslie alerted the relevant authorities when the plane touched down in Los Angeles. She felt terrible for Ben but was ready to put the whole situation behind her. However, when she learned that the airline had arranged for her to look after Ben and share her hotel room with him, she was stunned.

This wasn’t fair. Leslie had planned to explore L.A.’s nightlife, but now she was stuck babysitting. She tried texting Amy and another colleague, Brandon, to see if they could watch Ben, but neither was willing. She even considered hiring a local babysitter but realized she couldn’t afford it.

While they silently ate a pizza Leslie ordered for dinner, her phone rang. Her stomach dropped when she heard the news on the other end. “My baby is sick?” Leslie asked, her voice trembling. “What happened, Mom? Joe was doing well the last time we spoke. Have you taken him to a doctor?”

“Yes,” Leslie’s mom replied. “And she referred us to a specialist. We have an appointment later this week. They mentioned a genetic disease, and they might need you to come in for tests too, since you’re his mom.”

“Whatever it takes, as long as Joe gets better,” Leslie replied, her heart aching. After ending the call, Leslie curled into a ball and wept. She wished she could hold her son, smell his soft, curly hair, and tell him everything would be okay. But her flight schedule hadn’t brought her home in over a month. She’d tried to numb the longing with partying, but nothing eased the pain of being away from Joe.

“Miss Leslie?” Ben’s small voice interrupted her thoughts. He approached and placed a hand on her arm. “I think you should have these for your Joe.”

Leslie felt another wave of tears coming on as she looked at the bag of medicine Ben offered. “If I can’t save my granny, at least I can help you,” Ben said. “Take them for Joe so he can be healthy again.”

Leslie shook her head, touched by his gesture. “I have a better idea.” She started typing on her phone. “I’m going to get you to your granny in Seattle, Ben. Afterward, I’m going home to Missoula to see my son.”

Leslie booked a plane ticket for Ben at her own expense and arranged to accompany him on the flight to Seattle before heading home herself.

“I’m scared,” Ben said as they boarded the plane. “What if Granny is already dead because of my mistake? Mom will never love me then.”

Leslie ruffled the boy’s hair. “Your mom has always loved you, Ben, and she always will. That’s what parents do. I’m sure she’s been very worried and will be happy to see you safe.”

Ben didn’t seem to believe her, but when they arrived in Seattle, his family rushed forward to hug him. His mother smothered him with kisses, swearing never to ignore him again.

Leslie’s reunion with her family was less cheerful. She was shocked by how pale and thin Joe had become since she last saw him. He felt so fragile in her arms. That night, Leslie stayed up late, talking to her mom and going over the various tests doctors had run on Joe. She felt overwhelmed, helpless, and incredibly guilty. When she finally retired for the evening, Leslie crept into Joe’s room, curled up next to him, and promised him, herself, and God that she would do whatever it took to see her son healthy and happy again.

As the days passed, Joe’s condition didn’t improve. The specialist couldn’t determine what was wrong, and Joe seemed to grow weaker every day. Leslie requested extra leave, but the airline refused to pay her for the time off, despite Joe’s illness. Money was getting tight, and Leslie was desperate.

“Maybe I can get a job here,” Leslie suggested to her mom one evening. “Something that pays better.”

“It’s worth looking into,” her mom replied, though her voice was filled with worry. “If it comes to it, I can sell the house.”

Just then, there was a knock at the door that changed everything.

Leslie opened the door and was shocked to see Ben standing there with his family. “Ben?” she exclaimed. “What’s going on?”

“I have something for you and Joe.” Ben presented Leslie with an envelope. Inside was a check. When Leslie saw the amount, her jaw dropped.

“What is this? I can’t accept it,” she stammered. “It’s over a hundred thousand dollars!”

“We want you to have it,” Ben’s mother stepped forward. “We started a crowdfunding campaign for my mother’s treatment, but she…” The woman put a hand to her mouth, struggling to continue. “She passed away a few days ago.”

Ben’s father stepped forward and embraced his wife as she burst into tears. “We decided together that we should give you the money for Joe,” Ben continued.

“We announced what we planned to do on the crowdfunding campaign too,” Ben’s dad added, “so everything is above board.”

Leslie pressed the check to her chest as tears welled up in her eyes. “Thank you all so much,” she sobbed. “This is the greatest gift I’ve ever received. I only hope it’s enough.”

Ben lunged forward and hugged Leslie’s legs. “It will be enough, I’m sure of it! And when Joe is better one day, I’m going to come back here to play with him.”

Leslie smiled through her tears and ruffled the boy’s hair. “You’ll always be welcome to visit, Ben.”

The check was almost the exact amount Leslie needed. After countless doctor visits and treatments, Joe returned to his old self a month later. As Leslie watched him play with the neighbor’s dog on the front lawn, it was hard to imagine a time when he hadn’t been strong and full of laughter.

“And it’s all thanks to Ben,” she murmured.

The familiar sound of a plane soaring overhead caught Leslie’s attention. She would soon return to work, but she had just thought of the perfect way to repay Ben’s family for their generosity. She pulled out her phone and made a call to the airline, and the next day, she contacted Ben’s mom to tell her that the airline had offered their family a generous discount on all flights for the rest of their lives.