Airport security is a good thing to have, but the rules about what can and can’t be brought onto a plane can be over the top sometimes. After going through the whole hour-long security line, Ivelise Hernandez witnessed a man crying by a trashcan as he threw a mysterious package inside.
1. Good Samaritan Instincts
Hernandez is a bleeding heart who felt like she had to figure out what was wrong with the man and how she could help him. Because she couldn’t miss her flight; Hernandez sent her boyfriend Rico to go dig through the trash and find out what the man threw away that was making him so visibly sad. Here is the story of the mystery item and how the story unfolds into a surprise ending.
2. A Boring Trip to the Airport
It was supposed to be a regular, boring trip to the airport to catch a flight to Pittsburg; but when Ivelise saw the crying man, the course of the trip changed. Rico dug the package out of the trash and the two decided they had to get it back to the man.
3. Maybe it Was Fate
It is a good thing that a good-hearted person like Hernandez was in the TSA line when she was that day. The fact that she was there ended up changing one man’s life… and her own too.
4. What’s the Hold Up?
As Hernandez stood in the TSA line she noticed a visibly upset passenger being held up and made to throw away something from his bag. The man was crying and despite the hold up in the line, Ivelise couldn’t help but empathize with him and wonder what was wrong.
5. Liquidation of Assets
So why was this man’s item forbidden from the plane? That’s because TSA has very rigorous restrictions when it comes to liquids on board. TSA regulations state that if a container has more than 3.4 fluid ounces in it, it cannot pass through security. So into the trash it goes.
6. Sentimental Value Holds No Weight
The sad man pleaded with the agents to let him leave the item in the lost and found to be picked up later. Unfortunately this is a big TSA no-no – even in the event of high sentimental value.
7. No Other Options
After his final plea was denied, the man accepted his fate and threw his obviously precious item in the trash.
8. Run, Rico!
Ivelise’s boyfriend Rico was happy to go retrieve the item that the man (and now his girlfriend) was so sad about losing.
9. What Rico Found
Just as Hernandez suspected, the trashed item was certainly not trash. It was a snow globe with the inscription, “We love you Katie. Nana and Papa 1/25/16.” Hernandez knew what she had to do.
10. Tracking the Mystery Man
Obviously, the sentimental item had to be returned – but how do you return an item to a person without knowing their phone number, address, or even name? This was not going to be easy.
11. Social Media Solution
The obvious thing to do was to take the story to social media to see if people could spread the word about the snow globe. Hernandez was not 100% hopeful about the endeavor, but she figured at least a few people would help spread the word.
12. Well That Blew Up!
Ivelise and Rico were extremely surprised and pleased when after a week, Hernandez’s post had been shared almost 50,000 times across the web!
You will not believe how this viral post made its way to the right person…
13. Viral Destiny
Thanks to Facebook, an employee of Things Remembered, where the snow globe was possibly purchased and engraved, saw the post and had an idea.
14. A Successful Sleuth
The employee did some searching and was able to find out the name of the woman who had purchased the globe. What luck! The woman was named Linda Modry- now to find her!
15. Reunited at Last
Linda had bought the globe and had it specially engraved for her granddaughter Katie. It was Katie’s dad that Hernandez had seen crying as he was forced to discard the beautiful gift in the trash before Katie ever got to lay eyes on it.
16. The Media Joins the Journey
The news caught wind of the snow globe search and covered the emotional expedition. They wanted to see Katie get her long lost gift.
17. An Emotional Meetup
Modry was touched that a total stranger would step in and salvage the sentimental item from the trash and find a way to return it. Modry gave Hernandez beautiful flowers as a thank you gesture.
18. Golden Rule
Hernandez credited her mother for raising her to be “good to people,” she told Fox News. “I would want the same thing to happen to me,” she said.
19. Contagious Compassion
The kindness of Ivelise and Rico is something we should all strive for. This is the type of kindness to. This story serves as a good reminder to pay it forward.
20. Make the World a Better Place
The social media response to the kind gesture and the sweet story was overflowing with positivity. If Hernandez had ignored the cries of the man by the trashcan, both of their lives wouldn’t have changed for the better. Pass it on!