It’s happened to all of us.
It’s Friday afternoon. You’re at the airport, waiting anxiously by the gate to catch the next flight out. It’s been far too many days on the road; you’re physically exhausted and mentally tired. You can’t wait to get home, pour a glass of red, and relax with your family, maybe take in a movie.
As you sit there, trying to stay awake so you won’t miss the gate attendant calling your zone number to board, you suddenly become very aware of a screaming and unruly child.
Your first thought? Dear God—please don’t let me sit next to that kid! Then when you do finally board, you end up sitting in the wrong zone because it’s right in front of him and his mother! Why on EARTH would ‘that mother’ impose upon all of us like that? Why can’t she control her kid?! Oh $#^!@! He’s now attacking the back of my seat like a crazed contestant on American Ninja Warrior! Really?! What’s wrong with her? What’s wrong with him? Dear God!
“Dear God” is right because it may just be that you’re sitting next to a loving parent who happens to have a chronically ill child—not just a “Mr. Cranky Pants.” Ever consider that? For all you know, this child’s parent might be taking him or her on this dreaded plane ride to go to specialty hospital.
Enter our heroine, Heather Steiger, who took her 50-pound boy, Jack on a recent arduous flight Yahoo.com reports. Jack happens to suffer from not one but two movement disorders: dystonia and chorea. Jack can’t control most of his bodily movements. So when this non-verbal child kicks a seat, poops in his diaper, and screams for bloody murder, it’s because his confused brain is sending the wrong messages to his little muscles. Worse yet, his mother can’t communicate with him in ways he understands because he just isn’t capable. This must be incredibly frustrating and gut-wrenching for any parent to endure because they feel completely helpless when flying with their beloved child.
So the next time you’re a passenger on a plane with a family who may be dealing with a condition like dystonia similar to Heather and her son, Jack, remember these little golden rules of compassion from Yahoo.com :
1. Smile if you can with sincerity
2. Quietly praise the parent(s) that he/she is doing a good job
3. Try to engage in conversation—albeit briefly—with the family and child
4. Offer them assistance when boarding and deplaning, carry a bag or car seat
5. Put yourself in their shoes; try to be understanding and kind
And while it might not make for a relaxing, fun flight, your compassion will be greatly appreciated.
