A flight attendant’s job is no cake-walk. What with nights turning into days and the ever demanding requests from passengers, the job becomes ever so challenging. Amidst the chaos, this flight attendant had the motherly compassion and insight of noticing a teenage girl in distress.
Shelia Frederick, 49, from Alabama, was on one such Alaska Airlines flight from Seattle to San Francisco. As she recalls, it was sometime in 2011. “Something in the back of my mind said something is not right,” Shelia Frederick told 10 News.
According to 10 News, Sheilia realized that she had to know what was going on and help the poor girl, if need be. She placed a note on the mirror in the bathroom and then quietly suggested to the girl to visit the bathroom.
“She wrote on the note she needed help,” said Shelia, who then conveyed to the pilot about the terrible and ghastly situation the young girl was in.
The girl is now attending college. She escaped from the web of trafficking, thanks to Shelia’s sharp, quick witted observation and smart thinking, and her timely action.
Between 600,000 and 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders every year. Around 80% are women and girls, and up to 50% are minors. “If you see something, say something,” Shelia said. (h/t)
Non-action is as bad as you supporting the crime. So, speak up and stand up for those in need.
