Strangers' kind act on Jetstar flight: 'Tears started coming from my eyes'
The kind act was not lost on the anxious flyer, who started an online search to thank the two strangers.
An anxious Jetstar passenger was "blown away" by two strangers' kindness while they endured a "bumpy ride" back to Canberra over the weekend.
After travelling to the Gold Coast to visit her family, Jade braced herself for the two-hour journey on her least favourite mode of transport, admitting she was a total "wreck" when the pilot announced turbulence.
"I grabbed the seat in front of me, tears started coming from my eyes," she told Yahoo News Australia. "It takes a lot of my energy to keep myself calm."
With the mother and daughter seated beside Jade noticing her distress, they decided to offer her some much needed comfort, with one simple gesture and the invitation to share in a prized possession.
"[The stranger said] 'come on' and motioned for me to hold her hand, and her daughter pushed her giant Scooby Doo toy towards me and I just held onto it," she said, recalling the sweet spontaneous moment.
Internet search for 'sweet' mother-daughter duo
After the flight, Jade posted online with the hope of identifying and thanking the strangers for their kindness, and the internet did not disappoint.
Among the many comments labelling the interaction as "beautiful", "sweet" and "lovely", was one that read; "Hey Jade, that was me and my daughter!".
"I actually thought nothing of it," Megan, the kind mum, said to Yahoo. "I assumed we would get off the plane knowing we had helped someone and go on our merry way ... I was just doing what I thought most people would do in that situation."
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According to the Executive Traveller, it is estimated that one in four Australians suffer from a fear of flying, with a reassuring smile or supportive hand going a long way in easing a fellow passenger's anxiety.
"I think sometimes it's easy for people to make big grand gestures of help because of the recognition they can potentially receive, but this was something small that meant so much, it couldn't go unrecognised," Jade said.
The mother-daughter duo have now not only been publicly praised online, but they also have a bouquet of flowers now on its way to their home from a grateful stranger.
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