Daily Voice
By Josh Lanier From Daily Voice
Traveling with a young child can feel like a marathon of meltdowns and logistics, but sometimes a single kind stranger can make all that stress dissolve away.
A Connecticut family traveling through Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport experienced that sweet relief when their 2-year-old began to throw a tantrum, and a TGI Friday's waitress stepped in to save the day. The moment went viral, and now the Terryville family has created a GoFundMe to find and repay the woman for her kindness.
Chalaine Scott posted the video of server Brittany Bell holding a fussy toddler as she danced around the busy restaurant, serving other customers while keeping the kid smiling and laughing. This was the same child, Scott wrote, who was frustrated and fussy just seconds before.
For anyone who's watched a toddler turn tantrum, that turnaround is borderline miraculous.
Scott provided more context in the GoFundMe named "Blessing Bell.'
While on our layover, my husband and I stopped to eat with our 3 kids (all under 5 years old). It had already been a long day of traveling and my 2-year-old was on the verge of a meltdown. As she walked by, she saw him crying, stopped in her tracks, put her arms out to him and said ‘cmon ain’t no crying in here let’s go get a treat!’ My son (who is SO shy and rarely goes to anybody) immediately squeeze-hugged her, she brought him to get strawberries + cherries and carried him around while she waited on her tables!
It was a reminder that to be a hero, you don't need to save the world; saving someone's day can be enough.
Nearly 200 people have now donated to the GoFundMe, raising more than $3,200 of the campaign's $5,000 goal as of Thursday, Dec. 11. The plan, Scott said, is to deliver the money to Bell as a special Christmas gift.
She also hopes the video and campaign will get the attention of TGI Friday's so the company can reward her as well.
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