Airplanes Can Be Stressful
While there is no denying that traveling by plane is the most effective way to reach your destination, the experience can be quite stressful. Millions of people have a fear of flying – probably because we, as human beings, don’t have the natural ability to do it.
Being miles up in the air can be frightening, especially for those who are afraid of heights. On the other hand, the number of airplane accidents and breakdowns is significantly lower than those related to land-based vehicles.
Airplanes Are One of the Safest Transportation Options
Believe it or not, flying is probably the safest option because aeromechanics work to fix and prevent any issues. The sheer construction of this vehicle reduces the chance for major issues, as well as the chance of mid-flight collisions.
According to numerous reports, the percentage of airline accidents is reduced each year. It is expected that by 2050, airplanes will be the number one transportation method anywhere in the world.
Why Do People Have an Issue With Flying?
If flying by plane is safe and is slowly becoming quite affordable, why do some people still prefer traveling long distances by car? The main reason is because of the general perception that automobiles or other land-based options are safer.
Also, unless you are flying first class, there is a high chance that your 10-hour flight won’t be the most comfortable experience. Flying in economy class can be rather distressing, especially for young kids.
Not Enough Leg Room
One of the main issues with big airplanes is that they can hold hundreds of passengers. That means 90% of the people flying are cramped and don’t have a lot of legroom.
Apart from the fact that you can’t get very comfortable while flying in a plane, there is also an issue with the number of distractions related to flying. Yes, you can always put on your headphones and try to isolate yourself, but the chances are that all the people surrounding you will draw your attention somehow.
Kids Are Likely to Get Irritated
Although you will find that some people enjoy flying at an early age, most youngsters aren’t fascinated by the idea of flying. The whole experience can be quite overwhelming for children.
Additionally, most young ones don’t enjoy the turbulence that is an inevitable part of the experience. With all that in mind, flying can be particularly stressful for kids with autism.
Autism As a Modern Ailment
Throughout the past couple of decades, there have been millions of registered cases of autism. As it seems, it is becoming a disease of the modern age, and there are different levels of severity.
While there are people who can cope with autism and perform all of their daily routines, a good percentage of people with this disease have a massive problem with desensitizing to external triggers. Thus, it is no surprise that a kid with autism may have a lot of issues while flying on a plane.
Flying with Autism
Naturally, parents will be concerned with how their autistic child handles a plane trip. This is justified, especially when talking about flights that last for several hours.
Although there are many preparation tips, it all depends on who you are dealing with. Triggers are different for everyone, which is the main reason why you want to be aware of what your autistic child is irritated by.
The Importance of Staying Aware
Flying by airplane in this scenario is quite stressful for both the child, the parents, and other passengers. Nobody enjoys seeing a distressed youngster, so this whole experience can be a heavy burden.
To minimize the potential consequences, the parents must be 100% aware of the possible triggers and be ready to help their child cope. Not only that, but other passengers offering to help can be very beneficial.
Strangers Helping Those in Need
We should all understand the importance of unity, even when flying with an autistic child. Hearing someone be distressed can be shocking, and if you aren’t experienced, you may not know how to act.
On the other hand, the sheer willingness to offer your help and try to calm that person down can be a wonderful thing. Luckily, there are many different examples of people showing goodwill in similar situations.
The Protagonist of Our Story – Rochel Groner
Heroes come when they are least expected. The story that we are presenting is of a Charlotte woman who offered help to one of the passengers when no one else would.
The woman is named Rochel Groner. She is 33 years old and lives in Charlotte. On the day of this story, she took a transatlantic flight with her husband, Bentzion Groner.
Her Family
Coming from a Jewish family, Rochel is well aware that she should help those in need. According to her interview, she never engaged in public situations simply because she is very shy.
Although Rochel said that she didn’t want to be the focal point of everyone’s attention that day, she reacted anyway. As she later stated, she couldn’t stay calm while another person was clearly in distress.
The Youngest Passenger
One of the youngest passengers on her flight from Brussels to New York was a boy of Afro-Muslim heritage. A few years old, he had been coping with autism since he was born.
As we mentioned above, although autism can be dealt with, situations such as flying by plane can be quite intimidating. His parents were not thinking about this when they took him on this flight.
Delayed Flight
As Rochel’s husband later reported through his Facebook post, the connecting flight was delayed for more than 3 hours. Thus, when the plane finally took off, most of the passengers were exhausted and agitated.
The feeling of distress was most visible in the young passengers. This is to be expected given that there were eight more hours of flying to endure. Needless to say, no one was excited about it, but there was nothing they could do about it.
Surprising All of the Flight Attendants
As the plane was already late, most passengers and flight attendants were hoping that the eight-hour flight wouldn’t be too hard to deal with. No one knew they would be in for a huge surprise and an actual act of kindness.
What happened that day? The two protagonists of our story are the Jewish woman from Charlotte, Rochel, and the Afro-Muslim boy with autism.
30 Minutes Into the Flight
The plane took off from Brussels and was headed to New York. The predicted flight time was eight hours, which is a lot even for those experienced with this method of transportation.
About 30 minutes into the flight, the Afro-Muslim boy started crying and was in visible distress. According to several passengers and what Rochel and her husband stated in the interviews, his shrieks were deafening.
What Was the Trigger?
While no one could figure out what irritated the young boy, he clearly wasn’t feeling well. Children with autism are extra-sensitive, and when you are flying on a plane, there are just so many elements that could trigger distress.
As the flight went on, it was clear that most of the passengers noticed the boy was crying aloud, but no one was thinking about stepping in and trying to calm him down.
The Situation Becomes Tense
At this point, it was clear that the boy with autism won’t stop crying on his own. The irritating element didn’t go away, and most of the passengers became very tense, realizing that this situation could last for a while.
This was going on for more than 15 minutes, and the young boy didn’t show any signs of stopping. That is when Rochel, a woman who is typically shy on most other occasions, decided to step in.
A Lesson In Compassion
What is fascinating about Rochel’s act of kindness is that she couldn’t understand his language, and he couldn’t understand hers. Still, that didn’t stop them from creating a bond and shocking all of the flying passengers.
As Rochel said, if she didn’t recognize that the shrieks were coming from a child with special needs, she probably wouldn’t have approached him. She understands that, in most cases, parents are well-educated to cope with the stress that their kids are feeling, for which reason she wouldn’t get involved.
Returning From Israel
She and her Rabbi husband, Bentzion Groner, were on their way back from Israel. Both of them are well-aware of the issues that kids with special needs face. Not only that, but they run a Friendship Circle, which is an organization connecting volunteering teenagers with autistic and other special needs kids.
Furthermore, Rochel has experience teaching elementary school, which helped her understand the child and the fear that he might be facing. On top of all that, the pair also has a ZABS place, which is a thrift store that specializes in hiring people with special needs.
Reacting to the Sound of Distress
After consulting with her husband, Rochel knew that she needed to react and help the shrieking boy. Furthermore, she knew that helping him would also make the flight easier on all the other passengers.
In some instances, approaching an autistic child can only make the situation worse, so her knowledge of dealing with special needs kids went a long way.
Making the First Step
As Brussels Airline Flight 501 was flying over the Atlantic, Rochel knew that the crying had to stop. However, she needed to find a way to help him without irritating the child further.
A good number of passengers were visibly stressed out, most of them whispering about the ongoing issue and discussing whether they should call flight attendants and ask them to settle the situation. Still, Rochel knew that she was probably the only one who could handle the boy.
Not In Control of What’s Around Him
As you may or may not know, the only time autistic children feel confident and safe is when they are aware and familiar with what is around them. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case with airplane flights, so the boy's distress didn’t come as a surprise.
Rochel was ready to engage by asking for a pen and going over to the boy with the idea of helping him cope with his uncertainties. She borrowed a pen from one of the attendants, getting up from her seat and moving towards the boy.
Dressed In African Tunic and Pants
As she approached him, Rochel could see that the boy was from an African country, as he wore a traditional tunic and pants. On the other hand, his mother, sitting beside him, was in a Muslim hijab.
Rochel understood that she would probably have a tough time discussing the issue with words, so she gathered all of her patience and was ready to create a wordless connection.
Putting Her Hand Out
According to her estimate, the boy that was crying was around eight years old and one of the youngest passengers on that flight. When she approached him, he was confused but stopped wailing immediately.
His mother didn’t have any particular reaction, as she was confident that Rochel could calm her boy down. Luckily, the woman was very experienced dealing with autistic children and started by giving the little boy her hand.
Walking Down the Aisle
Although surprised, he decided to accept her offer and took her hand quietly without saying a word. At this point, he was done with shrieking and crying.
Rochel decided to walk the boy to one of the exit doors when they sat down, as her idea was to help him relax his muscles and mind.
Sitting in Her Lap
The woman offered to let the boy sit in her lap. She started rocking him calmly, which helped him relax and understand what was happening around him.
Throughout the process, she gave him a couple of hugs. She also decided to play around with the nausea bag, tracing her hand and making the boy laugh a couple of times.
The Fun Nausea Bag Game
Although her initial idea was to have a nausea bag just in case the boy decided to vomit, she figured that using it to her advantage and entertaining the boy with it was a fantastic decision.
Just a few minutes into the game of tracing the outline of their hands with a nausea bag, the boy was smiling, and it seemed like he completely forgot about the fear that he was feeling just a couple of minutes before.
Having a Good Time
Rochel didn’t want to ruin his mood but decided to stay with the boy for the rest of the flight. After ordering some cookies and orange juice and giving the boy a fidget spinner to play with, she was sure that the issue had been settled.
Most passengers were left in awe by her soothing abilities and the fact that the remainder of the flight would be spent in a calm and stress-free environment.
Brussels Airlines Reporting on the Case
As the plane safely landed in New York, Brussels Airlines’ representatives confirmed the story that Rochel’s husband posted. They suggested that both of them were incredibly kind and skilled at calming the crying boy.
Additionally, they claimed that all of the flight attendants were ready to provide the boy with any support and that none of the passengers caused drama because of the crying that went on for about 30 minutes.
God Put Her on the Flight
The boy’s mother was grateful and even managed to direct a few words to Rochel, thanking her for everything she did.
As the Charlotte woman later suggested, she was incredibly happy for the opportunity to help the boy and is sure that God put her on that flight for a good reason.