VIDEO: Flight Attendant’s Surprise Gift Leads to Friendship with Autistic Teen

A flight attendant and a young man with autism in Keller, Texas, have become close friends thanks to their shared love of airplanes.

When Southwest Airlines employee Erica Connolly met 18-year-old Garrison Christy on a flight to Dallas in 2019, the two chatted about one of their favorite things, according to WFAA.

“Garrison just zoned in on her and wanted her attention full time before we had to take off,” said his mom, Renee Christy.

“I love planes also so I was excited to interact with him and let him tell me everything he wanted to share about flying that he loves so much,” Erica recalled.

Although the two did not get to say goodbye that day, Erica later sent a gift to Garrison at his school that included a heartfelt note.

“I was your flight attendant. My dad is a pilot. We really love airplanes too. We found this old airplane guide and I thought you should have it,” she wrote.

As their friendship grew, Erica went to cheer Garrison on at his baseball game then took him to the Southwest Airlines flight simulator.

“I always try to be just a little bit kinder than what is necessary,” she said.

When it came time for Garrison to graduate from Central High School not long ago, he was only allowed to invite a handful of guests to the ceremony.

However, those guests included his closest family members, friends, and Erica.

Friday on Twitter, Infiniteach, a company that improved autism education through digital apps, shared a photo of Garrison and his friend:

To top it all off, the flight attendant, who also enjoyed photography, took senior photos of the teenager wearing her dad’s Air Force flight suit.

“I wish Garrison had a lot more Ericas in his life when it comes to friends,” his mom said, adding, “I think we all need a lot more Ericas in the world.”