Five Hours. One Life. Connection at 30,000 Feet.

Last night I had the privilege of watching superheroes in action. 

The kind who save lives. 

They were ordinary people just like the rest of us. Walking down the aisle, finding an overhead compartment, squeezing into a seat, and buckling in. Like us, they likely just finished a relaxing Hawaiian vacation and were headed home. 

That’s how our flight began.

The ordinary shifted dramatically with a simple yet urgent question: “Is there a medical professional on board?” Two people raced past me to the passenger about six rows up. For the next five or more hours, these strangers did everything they could to save another stranger’s life. 

I’m not sure why I feel compelled to write about this experience. I think it’s a desire to share the beauty of humans caring for other humans. No one cared about each other’s political affiliation, financial or social status, where the person came from, their professional accomplishments, their race, or religion.

All the things that can divide us faded with that one question, “Is there a medical professional on board?” 

At any given time during the flight, passengers jumped up to assist in various ways - retrieving oxygen tanks from the overhead, passing them down the aisle, holding the IV, or moving to a different row to create more space to work on the passenger. I’m sure people helped in ways I didn’t even see.

I believe our world is craving this - support and care for one another. Letting go of all that can separate us and instead coming together as humans. We need each other. Let’s not wait to be asked, “Is there a medical professional on board?”

We can show up with heart, compassion, and universal kindness today and every day.

One final note: I was a kid when my dad was the person who would be first in line to respond to medical emergencies - on the plane, in a restaurant, at a soccer field. You name it, he jumped in the minute someone needed a doctor. During a time when we have undervalued our medical system and the professionals who care for us, I want to go back to my first lines - I watched superheroes in action. The kind who save lives.

A big thank you to any doctor, nurse, or other medical professional reading this post. You are a model for how the rest of us can show up for others. You make a difference.