Jeff

Friend

All the passengers were settling into their seats when there seemed to be a small commotion at the plane’s entrance. A middle-aged man carrying his severely disabled teenage son struggled to negotiate the tight turn behind the cockpit as they headed for their seats in the first row.

The boy’s mother tried to protect his head from injury as the father awkwardly placed his son into the window seat. The boy had little control of his body, and his father labored to try to get him situated comfortably. Seemingly with each movement the boy would utter a small groan or cry of pain, and each sound seemed to make the man work even faster to find the right position to ease the moaning. But since his ultimate goal was his son’s comfort, the man continued to make adjustments until he was satisfied there were no more moves he could make.

The father was totally oblivious to anyone around him. As his wife tried to help from her seat in the second row, the father asked for pillows and blankets to prop his son so there would be minimal movement during the flight. With his son momentarily quiet, he wiped his own forehead, took a couple deep breaths, and sat down as he thanked the flight crew for their patience and assistance.

But as soon as his seat belt clicked securely, he twisted in his seat and returned his attention to his son. He poked the pillows, fluffed the blankets, and very gently massaged the boy’s arms and then legs. The constant moaning prompted ongoing responses from the man as he continued to find the perfect position that would ease the boy’s discomfort.

Shortly after takeoff, the son became quiet and briefly surrendered to sleep. But as soon as the seat belt light went off, the father was quickly on his feet and facing the boy, checking all around him and adding more blankets under his feet for additional padding.

Back in his own seat, he turned himself sideways so he could stay focused on his son. In