Grumbling to Gratitude at 30,000 Feet

By: Mason Harris

Rushing to the airport following 2 days of fantastic speakers addressing leadership challenges at the Fortune Leadership Summit, I realized I might have an opportunity to stand-by on an earlier flight. Success would mean seeing and kissing my daughter good night, instead of waiting until morning before another day of school, work, and worries would begin again.

Pre-check enabled me to “fly” though security (no pun intended, I swear) and I was the last person to board. Settling into my seat on a full flight leaving Orlando for Baltimore, I smiled. Along with typical travelers, flights leaving Orlando are packed with families and little kids who have just experienced a fantastic day at one of the area’s world-famous theme parks. (This, of course, refers to the kids. The parents are typically exhausted and intent on maintaining sanity through the flight.)

My seatmates were a 9-year old with an absolutely delightful smile and her mother. Meeting new people is enjoyable for me and I don’t shy away from conversation. A sales trainer from early in my career called it “establishing rapport” but I think I simply have a desire to interact with people.

“What was your favorite ride at Disney?” I asked my seatmate, whose name I quickly learned is McKenna. After a bit of thoughtful hesitation she settled on a water attraction.

“What was the absolute best part about your trip?” “Being with my family!” was the immediate reply. I was impressed – this little girl seemed to have it together better than some adults I know.

As McKenna went back to the games on her Nook, her mom Laura and I talked a bit about their trip. Her husband, son and parents were flying back to Oregon, but she and McKenna were actually headed to Boston and were going to change planes in Baltimore. At this point, as we were positioning for takeoff, the plane turned around and taxied back to the gate area.

The Pilot’s message regarding an indicator light that needed to be checked caused deserved groaning and grumbling from some of the adults. Life is filled with random inconvenience, but why does it always happen to us?

McKenna shifted in her seat and I noticed a small backpack. A plastic tube extended from the bottom of the backpack into McKenna’s clothing, and I realized it was medical, possibly nutrition or medication related.

We waited for information from the flight crew and as McKenna was absorbed in her electronic games, Laura shared that the flight to Boston was for an undetermined but extended stay based on McKenna’s upcoming surgery at Mass General Hospital. My smiling seatmate, all of 9 years old, was going back to surgery for the umpteenth time for a growing brain tumor.

This Disney trip had been planned and when it was learned that McKenna needed to return to Mass General (again) the family decided to schedule the surgery for after the long-awaited family vacation. Although check-in and surgery wasn’t for a few more days, getting to Boston and settling in was the next step.

Word now came from the Pilot and crew that repairs needed to be made; we could disembark for 45 minutes if desired. There was a rush of exiting passengers and I went up to speak with the flight crew about connections that evening to Boston. It wasn’t promising, unfortunately.

With some time to spare I exited to get some food and bring sandwiches back for McKenna and Laura. The bar/lounge was now filled with passengers from our flight. I noticed that I even had time to make my originally scheduled flight if I rushed over to another departure gate, but fate had put me next to some new friends and leaving now wasn’t an option.

Our flight did leave roughly 2.5 hours after the original departure time. As we flew north McKenna offered me some of her potato chips (I declined) and then a piece of chocolate (I’m only human). I learned more from Laura about McKenna’s diagnosis just after she turned 2 - chemotherapy, 32 rounds of proton radiation, pituitary damage from the radiation, a “J Tube”, steroids, growth hormones, spinal taps (“It’s just a little poke, mom”), Camp Millennium for kids with cancer, Make-A-Wish, and family life when raising a child with cancer.

This is not an ordinary family. Laura and her husband Mark are also Foster Parents, providing care to “drug babies” born of addicted mothers, and Respite Care to other foster parents who need an occasional break from giving back 24/7. McKenna’s brother Caleb is protective and loving of his little sister, despite the obvious turmoil in the family’s everyday life and the attention that is drawn away from him. Her grandparents, classmates and teachers, from Laura’s description, provide immeasurable love and support to McKenna as well.

I asked McKenna what she wants to do when she grows up and she had two answers. One, she wants to be a “Child Life Specialist” and help other ill children who are scared, confused and facing or recovering from surgery. Two, she wants to work at Build-A-Bear so she can help kids make their own special bears. McKenna then decided to draw a picture for me. It was of her house, her family, and God smiling down at them.

This is actually harder to write than I thought it would be.

Arriving home at 1:20AM I didn’t quite have the opportunity to speak to my daughter, but I did kiss her – twice – as she slept, before going to bed. One can never be too grateful regarding our family and the gifts we have.

Note: I’m sharing this with permission from both Laura and McKenna. You can learn more about this remarkable little girl and her equally extraordinary family. This is their link: www.caringbridge.org/visit/mckennasangels.  We can all benefit from McKenna’s Angels.

Mason Harris / mharris@hutzpahmedia.com / 240-751-9147