The Infamous Airport Saga
Airports are known for having strict rules, and governing authorities have an apparent lack of regard for the passengers. That's precisely what happened to one man, who was forced to part with something he held dear to his heart because of the stringent laws imposed on him.
His despair was visible to everyone present at the airport, but it was a young woman, Ivelise Hernandez, and her boyfriend, who donned the role of noble Samaritans and sneaked the package out. When they decided to execute this heroic deed, they had no idea that the item inside the package would change how they view the world and eventually reduce them to tears!
All prepped up
Ivelise Hernandez, a resident of Tampa, Florida, was to board a flight for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from the St. Petersburg-Clearwater Airport. The day was uneventful as her boyfriend Rico Bankston drove her to the airport. Playing the role of an ideal boyfriend, he also accompanied her to the security line, where drama was beginning to brew.
The Airport was abuzz with travelers, and it felt like an ordinary day until they reached the security. That's when the couple realized that something was amiss with one of the passengers. What they did next will melt your hearts!
A Sad Scene
A few feet in front of them, a downcast man was being forced to dispose of a package by the airport authorities. It was anything but polite, a somber scene with hundreds standing as mute spectators. No one even intervened! No one even cared. However, this couple chose to do something.
When the pair saw it all going down, they had no idea that this event would impact their whole life! After noticing what was happening, the woman quickly came up with a plan to help this sad stranger.
The regular hustle
Anyone who has traveled by airplane knows very well that standing in the security line for screening is a pretty daunting task. You constantly pray for everything to go in the desired manner, but that day, it seems like Ivelise’s prayers didn’t work as something unfortunate was taking place in front of them. Thankfully, her boyfriend Rico was by her side.
The airport security staff found something suspicious in a man’s package that triggered the metal detector. Immediately, TSA officials pulled him aside for questioning—what if he was a security threat? Wanting to know what was cooking right ahead of them, the couple heard the man's strange request.
Test of patience
It was undoubtedly a test of patience for the young couple as they stood in line while the man ahead was indulged in what looked like convincing the airport authorities to let him take what was inside his bag. However, the situation quickly escalated to a point where everything seemed out of control!
All this while, the young couple was finding it hard to trace the item that was causing all the ruckus, but one thing was clear as day—it wasn’t allowed on the flight. And there was no denying that. Whatever the poor man did, he was constantly declined his request until ...
The Argument Raged On
The argument between both the parties raged on as one could sense a hint of fury in the man’s voice. He constantly continued convincing the staff not to relinquish the item. "What is this about the package that the man can't let go of," wondered the young couple.
In the meantime, the man was getting more agitated with every passing minute. He just couldn't let go. In contrast, the security personnel was more and more adamant. "Sir, you can't take this inside. If you disagree, we'll have to take you off the flight." It was then that the man decided to do something drastic!
Raging tension
The man got more upset as the security staff held their stand of not allowing the item on the airplane. Ivelise and Rico were still patiently standing in the line, trying to make sense of what was unfolding right ahead of them.
The man even tried convincing the security agents to let him send the item to the airport’s lost and found rather than throwing it away. But his pleading met an ill fate as they refused to let it happen! "No, sir, we can't allow that!"
Mute Spectators
What’s even more crushing is the fact that he was made to throw away the package in a dustbin, and it was pretty evident from his teary eyes that the box held immense emotional value to him.
Many stood as mute spectators jeering off the poor man's fate. Some completely turned their backs as if it was not happening right in front of them. Although Ivelise had no clue what was inside it, she felt the impulse to do something. And she did!
A strange assignment
With the countenance of a soldier after a lost battle, the man disposed of the package in the trash bin. Not ready to let go, the man had no other way out! This was the rule, and he had to accept that he could not take the package that he held so dear.
Ivelise and Rico were deeply shaken at what was happening right in front of them. But it was time for Ivelise to bid goodbye to Rico and board her plane. Apart from granting Rico a goodbye kiss, she also gave him a strange assignment, something that would change someone's life.
Deeply Moved and Willing to Help
Having been deeply moved by what happened to the man and his strong emotions, Ivelise requested Rico to dig into the trash can and retrieve the abandoned package.
She went on and boarded her flight to Pittsburgh, leaving Rico behind with the mysterious package! She had no idea what it contained until the day she got back home ...
A Considerable Advantage
Since Rico wasn’t passing through screening, it gave him a considerable advantage in accomplishing the task his girlfriend assigned him. Rico was free to take the package out because it wasn’t carted away for extra screening but instead thrown into the waste bin.
Not only the package, but Rico was free to collect anything he could from the trash can. Sticking true to its noble upbringing, he carefully spotted just the package and drove back home with it to Tampa. His hands shivered as he was about to open the mysterious package and find out exactly what it was ...
Anxiety kicks in
It was a normal-looking box, nothing special about it! However, it did hold some sentimental value to that man. Whenever Rico's mind diverted to the scene at the airport, he was left heartbroken. What was the need for stringent security that wouldn't allow a man to take home something so precious?
While Rico retrieved the package, he couldn’t convey the sentiment to Ivelise as she was on board her flight, with no connection to the world below! No wonder she was getting anxious with every passing minute ...
A Deep Impact
Ivelise couldn’t get the grief-stricken man out of her head, and his predicament at the hands of airport security was constantly running through her troubled mind. Somehow, it left a profound impact on her, as if she connected with this man on a different level and understood his situation.
She kept thinking about the mystery package and what it contained that forced the authorities to throw it away. As soon as her plane touched the ground, she dialed Rico’s number to find out about the package. When Rico told her what he had discovered, Ivelise knew exactly what she had to do!
The secret unfolds
Rico rushed towards his home as soon as he retrieved the package because he, too, wondered what caused such chaos at the airport. What was inside this mystery package, that made the unknown man so agitated? When the truth came out, it was a bit off-putting, to say the least!
As soon as Rico opened the package, what he found was something a little too ordinary. He couldn’t really understand at first how a simple trinket could cause such a ruckus. "Why would the security guys not allow this," wondered a perplexed Rico!
What's Inside The Package?
The package contained something that appeared to be just a small snow globe with absolutely nothing special about it. Rico wondered, "why the heck the security guys didn't allow it? And if there's nothing special about it, why was the man so adamant?" The truth was soon to come out!
For Rico, it was a bit mind-boggling at first, but then he started finding exactly what made it so valuable to the pleading man who disposed of it. Upon closer inspection, he at last found what made the ordinary trinket absolutely priceless ...
What was it exactly?
Rico soon realized that the snow globe he was holding was of more value to the man than a huge stack of gold bricks. It was custom-made as there were two photos inside the snow globe. Two very intriguing and stirring pictures!
The mist surrounding the package started getting clearer, and it was then Rico realized that the snow globe had a photo of an older couple and a young girl. Moreover, it also played the tune Greensleeves. What was the meaning of this? Who were these people?
A Custom-Made Snow Globe
What cemented the fact that it was indeed customized is when Rico found some engravings at the bottom of the globe that read, "We cherish you Katie. Nana and Papa 1/25/16". The whole picture soon started getting clearer!
It was certainly very special. It was custom-made. It had a lovely message towards the bottom. No wonder the man seemed so adamant about not letting go of this prized possession! After realizing that it was a cherished gift, Rico and Ivelise set out on a life-changing mission.
The Mission Commences
Ivelise and Rico didn’t belong to that set of people who could ignore what happened and move on with their lives. The despair of the man they encountered at the airport kept crashing in front of their eyes, but with virtually no leads to support their mission of finding the owner, they had a rather daunting task ahead of them.
With limited resources at her disposal, Ivelise made the most of what she had: her social media. She drafted a post on Facebook, embedding the pictures and all the information they had of the globe, hoping to get a lead. However, things were not easy!
Overcoming the Hurdles
Despite Ivelise requesting her friends to share the post as much as possible, a significant hurdle proved to be a threat to their mission. Ivelise didn’t have a strong social media presence; nevertheless, the young couple held high hopes.
The internet is unpredictable. Cringe-worthy content can sometimes gain a lot of traction but Ivelise’s heartfelt post couldn’t attract much engagement at first. Luckily the internet does have its own ways of surprising us!
The Power of the Internet
The young couple’s optimism soon got a much-needed boost as their Facebook post went viral! Thousands of people shared her post on their respective timelines, and the engagement saw a meteoric rise. With her internet army backing her up, she became more hopeful than ever.
Using the phrase ‘spread like wildfire’ for Ivelise’s Facebook would be an understatement as it was shared more than 48,000 times! Would such an extraordinary engagement lead to a strong lead to the owner of the globe?
The First Lead
Although Ivelise’s Facebook post got the required attention and then some more, the progress was still a little vague as they kept hunting for a lead. At last, someone decided to drop a text to Ivelise regarding the globe. However, the individual wasn't a relative or an acquaintance of the owner who had to toss the globe in the trash can.
As it turns out, the individual in consideration was an employee of the gift shop Things Remembered and finally, Ivelise got some information that was as priceless as the globe itself!
The Hunt Begins
Ivelise, at first, didn’t have any clue that the text from the woman who claimed to be the shopkeeper from Things Remembered would radically impact the hunt for the gift’s owner. Although the woman had no personal connection to the owners or the present, she did remember the exact model she had once sold for a special someone ...
The woman soon joined the crew and started playing her part in finding the owners by calling up the organization’s headquarters in Ohio to check whether they could pinpoint that particular order. Ivelise and Rico had no idea what it would lead to, but they were in for a surprise!
A Ray of Hope
The universe always paves the way for people who have good intentions. Something similar happened with Ivelise as she finally got a name from the organization’s headquarters: Linda Modry. Now there was another task at hand—locating this person!
As it turns out, Linda got the globe custom-made for her five-year-old granddaughter, Katie. And it was Katie’s dad Michael that Ivelise and Rico encountered at the screening line in the airport. He wanted to get the gift to Katie before the TSA made him dispose of it in the trash can.
Right under their nose!
After finally finding a name associated with the snow globe, it was now time to look for the person. Ivelise decided to team up with the employee at the shop, who was more than willing to help ...
The employee of Things Remembered struck GOLD once again and found out that Linda Modry lived in Ivelise’s vicinity! Talk about coincidences! Moreover, she also convinced her organization to hand out Linda’s contact number to Ivelise.
A Media Show
With an address in hand, it was now time to visit and return what was rightfully someone else's! The Facebook search party that Ivelise commandeered was finally bearing fruit as their local media also got a whiff of the emotional story.
They didn’t take much time in swooping down to Ivelise’s place to broadcast the anticipated reunion. With her heart pounding faster than the speed of light, Linda Modry knocked on Ivelise's door.
The Reunion
Ivelise and Linda instantly locked in a tight embrace as tears of joy rained down their cheeks. To express her gratitude towards Ivelise and her noble endeavors, Linda brought along with her a gorgeous bouquet of fresh flowers. Ivelise had no idea that her noble deed could have such a significant impact on someone’s life.
It was later revealed that the trinket was bought as a gift for Katie’s birthday. Linda wanted to get the snow globe for her birthday, and the timing of their reunion couldn’t have been better. As Linda found it hard to express how thankful she was to Ivelise; she did something that Ivelise didn’t see coming.
Special Thanks For A Lovely Stanger
Linda whipped out her phone while Ivelise waited anxiously by her side, anticipating Linda’s actions. What Ivelise learned next made her overcome with emotion!
Linda called her son, Michael, who had to part his ways with this priceless trinket at the airport. It was soon revealed that Michael was heading back to his home in Ohio after paying a visit to his parents when he was stopped by the airport authorities and asked to let go of that precious gift!
The Significance of the Date On the Snow Globe
As Michael expressed his gratitude towards Ivelise, it was also revealed that the date inscribed on the bottom of the snow globe had a very special significance.
At that point in time, Ivelise didn’t realize that she would need a box full of tissues for what Linda would reveal next.
A New Discovery
The date inscribed on the bottom of the globe wasn’t actually Katie’s birthday. January 25th was the date when Katie was adopted and officially became a member of their family. Linda wanted Michael to pass on the gift to her to remind her of their unbounded love.
It was also a reassurance to Katie that she holds a special place in their heart and that she shouldn't forget about the love that they had for her. Linda soon handed the phone over to Ivelise to make her talk to Michael, but another surprise awaited Ivelise that would break her down into tears of joy!
Katie On the Call
Joining Michael was Katie on the other end of the phone! Linda soon told Katie that her long-lost special package had been recovered and that Ivelise was the one responsible for making this daunting task a reality. It soon became an emotional moment for everyone involved as Katie expressed her gratitude too.
She was heard leaping with joy when she got to know about her birthday present. At this moment, it all played in front of Ivelise’s eyes as it dawned upon her that her determination and selflessness had led to something so pure and beautiful!
A Noble Deed
Ivelise Hernandes, the determined and kind-hearted lady, soon revealed that her act of compassion came naturally to her. Her mother always taught her to be good to others, which drove her to search for the owner of the gift. She also stated that if she ever found herself in a similar situation, she hoped someone out there would have the guts to act likewise.
Linda took no time in making sure that the package got delivered to her granddaughter in Ohio. When asked to describe Ivelise, she had the kindest words to say!
Appreciation for Ivelise
“People are basically really good,” she said, “and she’s just exceptional," stated Linda. Everything was finally falling to place and all because a stranger decided to go out of her way, to help a sentimental man at the airport!
After completing the mission she set out for, Ivelise described the whole ordeal and her experience with Katie and her family on Facebook and on the page Love What Matters. She immediately received admiration and widespread attention from across the globe!
Flooded With Love
Apart from the post where she was trying to locate the owner of the snow globe, the joyous reunion also received loads of comments in support online.
In this ruthless world where humanity is evaporating at a rapid pace, her kind act rained down and flooded all of us with positivity and a new perception towards life! For making an entire family happy, the internet showered Ivelise with love.
Blessed With a Baby
Just two years after this incident, Ivelise Hernandez was blessed with a baby. No doubt, being the kind-hearted and determined person that she is, Ivelise is going to be an amazing mother!
Truly, the baby was a blessing for Ivelise, as she stated on her social media handles. Amidst all this, you must be wondering why something as harmless as a snow globe is not allowed at the airport?
Airport Regulations for Snow Globes
As per Lisa Farbstein, who works at Transportation Security Administration, snow globes are not allowed on airplanes because they are larger than the size of a regular tennis ball! Yep, we are not kidding! You can't imagine the items that are an absolute no-no on airports, but that's for another time.
Because of this very specific rule, Michael was not allowed to board with his daughter's birthday present. However, as they say, all's well that ends well! For Michael, Katie and Linda, there was a guiding angel in the form of two amazing human beings who were looking out for them. So, what did you think of this story? Don't forget to leave a comment and share it with your friends. After all what Ivelise and Rico did, surely deserves all the attention, credits, and accolades, don't you think?