United Airlines crew, passengers praised for helping manage autistic child

United Airlines crew, passengers praised for helping manage autistic child

A United Airlines passenger has thanked cabin crew and fellow passengers onboard a flight for their compassion toward her four-year-old autistic son.

Lori Gabriel of Cypress, Texas, took to social media to praise passengers and crew of flight UA 2210, who helped manage her son, Brayson, during the more than five-hour journey from San Diego to Houston, after he reportedly had a meltdown during take-off.

Gabriel, whose husband was also on the flight, noted that trying to get Braysen seated “was impossible” as “he wanted to sit on the floor in the hall”.

“Huge thank you to United Airlines. They accommodated his needs, made sure we were all okay, [and] worked around where he chose to sit,” she wrote.

“United really showed up tonight and helped us through this flight.

“To the man in first-class seat 6C, you rock! Thanks for playing with Braysen and not minding him kick your seat or messing with you! He Loved your high fives!”

Gabriel also praised an off-duty United employee who provided her with a written message of support mid-flight.

“You many not know how much that means to us when we feel defeated,” she said.

“Thank you for helping and being kind.”

Check out the mother’s Twitter shout out in full below:

In response to Gabriel’s post, United tweeted: “It sure sounds like Braysen and your family had a great flight.

“We are happy that our crew was able to make it an enjoyable experience. We are overjoyed to see that we have such loving and supportive passengers on board as well!

“We look forward to seeing Braysen again soon!”

Featured image: Twitter/@lorinikki

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