Nationwide — Monique Harris, an African American flight attendant, stepped in to help a tired mother after her baby nearly slipped from her lap during a United Airlines flight. Harris caught the child before the baby could fall, then held the baby so the exhausted mother could finally get some much-needed sleep. The moment was later shared online and quickly gained attention.
The moment happened aboard United Airlines Flight 3486, which was traveling from Newark, New Jersey, to Grand Rapids, Michigan. According to People, passenger John Frehse shared the encounter on Instagram, saying the new mother had fallen asleep while holding her baby. When the infant began slipping from her lap, Harris reacted quickly and caught the child.
Harris then stayed nearby and took care of the baby while the mother rested. Frehse said the woman was so exhausted that she could barely stay awake. By holding the infant, the flight attendant gave the mother a chance to sleep without having to worry about her baby.
Frehse praised Harris for stepping in and said United Airlines should be proud of her. His post received more than 150,000 likes, bringing widespread attention to the encounter. Republic Airways, where Harris works, also praised her in the comments. United Airlines responded with a teary-eyed emoji.
Harris later responded to the post and said she was “in tears” over the reaction. She explained that she never helps people for recognition and had not expected the simple act of caring for the baby to receive so much attention. Her response came after thousands of people reacted to the story.
Frehse also shared more praise for Harris, calling her “wonderful in so many ways.” He said she had stepped in when the mother was simply too tired to stay awake. Harris works for Republic Airways, a regional airline that operates flights for carriers including United. What started as a brief moment of help during a flight became a widely shared story after Frehse documented the flight attendant’s actions online.