This Woman Saw A Man Abandon A Package At The Airport. When She Opened It, She Had To Do Something
A Florida woman named Ivelise Hernandez was at the airport when she saw a man drop something suspicious in the trash. She was dying to learn what the object was, so her boyfriend went to retrieve the mystery item. The couple immediately understood the value of the object they uncovered, and decided that they needed to do something about the situation.
It All Started At The Airport
In 2016, Tampa resident Ivelise Hernandez ended up doing something remarkable for a total stranger.
The whole story began when Hernandez and her boyfriend took a trip over to Tampa Bay's St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport. It was there that she witnessed something that was so impactful to her that it inspired her to become even more than just a good Samaritan.
Not An Average Traveling Day
Hernandez and her boyfriend were bound for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania when they made their incredible discovery. What was going to be a typical day of traveling turned out to be the opposite of what the couple had expected.
While most people want to forget about ever being in an airport, this would be an experience in the airport that she would never forget. Yet, the whole story was set into motion long before Hernandez ever even stepped foot on the airport.
A Problem At Security
In fact, the entire episode began unfolding while the couple bound for Pittsburgh were going through security at the airport. Hernandez noticed that there was apparently an issue with something in a fellow passenger's bag ahead of her in line.
It turned out that the passenger had a restricted item inside of their luggage that they weren't allowed to take past that point. Unfortunately, the passenger was then asked to throw the object away to their dismay.
A Security Restriction On Fluids
When traveling on airplanes these days, officers from the Transportation Security Administration, or TSA, have strict rules regarding people traveling with liquids. The typical rule is that air travelers aren't allowed to bring items that contain more than 3.4 ounces of fluid with them onto the airplane in a carry-on bag.
This is why it's extremely common to see people being forced to throw away things such as shampoo, water, and other beverages at the security check point.
Some Of The Things That Are Thrown Away Can't Be Easily Replaced
Usually, although it may not be fun to throw away your drinks or toiletries, most of those items can be replaced once you get past security or once you get to your destination.
However, in this instance, it wasn't something that could be replaced like a bottle of water. Hernandez could tell that the male traveler was being asked to throw away something of sentimental value. But regardless, he had no say in the matter.
Something Didn't Seem Right
The man even politely asked if he could place the bag in the airport's lost and found. That way, he could get it back somehow after his trip. Unfortunately, airport security denied his request, and he reluctantly threw the object away in the trash.
While watching the whole situation unfold, both Hernandez and her boyfriend both felt that something about the whole situation didn't feel right.
They Looked In The Trash To See What it Was
So, Hernandez's boyfriend went into the trash to uncover what the man had been forced to leave behind. When he looked inside the trash, he found a box.
He pulled the box from out of the bin in order to see what the contents were. When he opened the box, he immediately understood why the man had desperately not wanted to part with it. It really was of sentimental value.
Discovering The Contents
When they opened the box, they discovered that it contained a snow globe. However, this wasn't just any old snow globe that people buy while on vacation. This one had photos of what appeared to be family members inside, with a meaningful inscription that said "We love you Katie. Nana and Papa 1/25/16."
Upon seeing this heartfelt message and the pictures, the couple knew that they had to do something to return what the man had lost.
Coming Up With A Plan
After the couple made their heartbreaking discovery, they couldn't help but feel terrible that the man was forced to leave such a precious item behind, especially that he had to throw it away.
So, the couple devised a plan. They decided that the best thing to do would be to track the man back so that they could hopefully return it back to him.
Taking It To The Internet
The couple decided to use the tools that they had at hand and took to the Internet, a place where almost any problem can help be solved. They logged onto Facebook and wrote a post about the situation.
They then asked the people of the Internet to share their post in hopes of it eventually reaching the poor man that lost his meaningful snow globe. They were desperately hoping that their message would eventually reach the man at the airport.
What Happened Next Was Amazing
While the couple knew that their post on Facebook might just be a shot in the dark, it was still worth a try. However, they could have never anticipated what would happen next.
Hernandez admitted that "I thought it would share a couple hundred times," she told Fox 13 News in April 2016. Amazingly, on the same day, the post had gone viral. The post was being shared thousands of times with more every minute.
People Were More Than Willing To Share The Post
Hernandez and her boyfriend were still hopeful, however, they thought that maybe their post would just eventual die down and fade away entirely. Yet, seven days since their original post, it had been re-posted more than 48,000 times.
The two were completely awestruck by the power of the Internet considering they thought the post would only receive a little attention.
Someone Recognized The Snow Globe
As a result of their effort and with a little bit of Internet magic, the couple finally got the information that they were looking for. An employee from the gift shop Things Remembered came across Hernandez's post.
There was something about the snow globe that caught her eye and made her think that she had seen it before. So, the employee hopped into her work's database to try and figure out who had ordered to snow globe from the store.
They Found The Owner
Miraculously, the Things Remembered worker managed to track down the name of the person that had originally ordered and purchased the sentimental snow globe. The customer that had ordered the gift was named Linda Modry, who had purchased the globe as a gift for her granddaughter Katie.
Unfortunately, the little girl never got the globe that was meant for her, as her adopted father had been forced to throw it away at airport security.
The News Picked Up The Story
Thanks to the help of Hernandez and her boyfriend, along with everyone that shared the post on Facebook, it looked like a reunion was in the making for the little girl and her intended snow globe.
Fox News 13 then picked up the story and followed it all the way up until the beloved snow globe was returned to the original buyer. Modry arrived at Hernandez's doorstep to receive the gift that she and her husband feared they had lost forever.
Modry Was In Disbelief
When Hernandez opened the door to greet Modry, she handed her back the once-missing gift. Modry was overwhelmed with joy and appreciation that Hernandez and her boyfriend had gone through all of this to return the snow globe. While embracing, Modry said "I can't believe that you did this."
She even brought Hernandez flowers to show her gratitude for everything that the couple had done for her family. While Modry was still in disbelief, Hernandez was happy just knowing that the gift had been returned to its rightful owner.
Hernandez Didn't Think What She Did Was That Amazing
Opening up about why she did was she did, Hernandez commented that "My mom always raised us to always be good to people. If it was me, and I lost my snow globe, I'd want the same thing to happen to me."
So, to Hernandez, returning the gift was the obvious thing to do, because that's just how she was raised. While Hernandez didn't think it was that big of a deal, Modry saw her actions as nothing but selfless and purehearted.
An Exceptional Act Of Kindness
Modry proclaimed that "People are basically really good, and she's just exceptional." With that being said, it's not wrong to say that plenty of other passengers may have been interested in seeing what the man threw away, but would not have gone to these lengths in order to make sure it got back into the right hands.
But thankfully, Hernandez and her boyfriend were on the scene, a couple that were willing to do what it took to set things right.
An Example For Others
People other than Modry and her family thought that what Hernandez and her boyfriend did was incredible as well. Facebook users from all over thanked Hernandez and her boyfriend for showing the world that a little kindness can go a long way.
One user even posted, "So happy the owner was found! May God bless you and your boyfriend ten times over!" In a world where social media isn't always the nicest place, Hernandez and her boyfriend proved that it doesn't always have to be that way.
Proof There's Still Good In The World
While for some people, a missing snow globe might not be the end of the world, the story isn't just about a snow globe. It's proof that there are still people out there that are willing to do the right thing, even if it means putting some extra work in.
Hernandez and her boyfriend didn't do it for fame or for a reward, but because they knew it would make a family happy. Their story has been an inspiration to many people which has hopefully encouraged others to act the same way.
The Story Went Viral
There's nothing like having your actions praised on social media to reaffirm your decision to do the right thing. As news of Hernandez's kind deed spread to various social media outlets, she found some pretty terrific feedback from strangers. Her act of paying it forward had made a huge impact on others’ lives.
On the Facebook page for a group called Love What Matters, people expressed how happy Hernandez's actions had made them. Many said she would be blessed in return for her good deed.
She Was Blessed, Indeed
It turns out that all those strangers on Facebook were correct in saying that Hernandez would be blessed. Two years after returning the snowglobe, Ivelise shared that she is now expecting a child of her own.
It's difficult to imagine anyone being so fit to be a great mother as Ivelise! She will undoubtedly be a wonderful parent. And it turns out that her actions at the airport that day had unexpected effects elsewhere, too.
What An Interesting Sight
Isn't it annoying how the shoe-shining people practically stalk you as they try and get to shine your shoe? Well, it looks like it's their lucky day. These Iron Man knock offs needed their services desperately.
As if they aren't already shiny enough, the robots needed a little boost before boarding their flight. Do they have to get out of the suits before boarding the plane? It doesn't really matter as long as their feet are shining.
There Are Now Different Regulations On Snowglobes
There's now some great news for fans of snow globes. Lisa Farbstein with The Transportation Security Administration told NPR that it’s now OK to bring snow globes along with you, under one condition.
She said, "You can now carry on small snow globes, as long as they are put in those plastic bags along with your other small bottles of liquids." That's great news for anyone traveling with a treasured snow globe. We love a happy ending!
