It has to be depressing to be at work while your friends and family members celebrate the holidays, but it’s a pretty common occurrence in America. According to USA Today, around 25% of Americans have to work on either Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s Day.
One father from Ohio went to incredible lengths to spend his Christmas Eve and Day with his daughter even though she was at work. What made it even more incredible is that she was 30,000 feet in the sky.
Pierce Vaughan, a flight attendant for Delta Airlines, had to work from December 24 to 25, so her father, Hal, bought tickets on six flights just so he could be right there beside her.
The news quickly went viral after Mike Levy, a man who sat next to Hal on a flight from Fort Myers, Florida to Detroit Michigan, shared a photo on Facebook. The post has received over 177,000 likes and 35,000 shares.
“I had the pleasure of sitting next to Hal on my flight back home. His daughter Pierce was our flight attendant who had to work over Christmas,” Levy wrote on Facebook. “Hal decided he would spend the holiday with her. So, he is flying on each of her flights today and tomorrow around the country to spend time with his daughter for Christmas. What a fantastic father! Wish you both a very Merry Christmas!”
What’s even more incredible is that Hal has recently recovered from a back and neck injury that left him temporarily paralyzed. “He is still recovering from a neck injury from earlier in the year, which had left him quadriplegic for a period,” Levy told CNN. “This was his first trip since the accident.”
Pierce said her father’s ability to make it through all six flights and gate transfers was a true miracle that wouldn’t have happened without the help of Delta and airport personnel.
“A special thanks to all of the patient, wonderful gate agents around the country and my perfect crew,” she wrote on Facebook. “He made it on every flight and even got first class RSW-DTW (Christmas miracle).”
