He willingly took six exhausting flights to be with his daughter at Christmas. Dads frequently go to extremes to ensure their daughters’ happiness, right?
Christmas is a unique period for families to gather and rejoice. While many take a break, some individuals, such as doctors, nurses, firefighters, police, military officers, and flight attendants, have essential jobs that require them to work. They can’t be with their families during holidays. It’s challenging, but sacrifices must be made for the greater good.
Peirce’s father, Hal Vaughan, didn’t want his daughter to spend Christmas alone. In a heartfelt gesture, he reserved a seat on each of Peirce’s flights to be by her side. Sitting through one flight can be challenging, but picture doing it for six in a row! Mr. Vaughan didn’t hesitate. Even though he’s not as young as he once was, he dipped into his savings to be with his beloved daughter.
He journeyed across the United States on planes during the holidays to be with Peirce. And you know what? He said he’d do it all over again for her.
Levy took a selfie with Hal and snapped a picture of Peirce. He shared their story on Facebook with their permission, and it became super popular. The love between this caring dad and his daughter touched thousands of people.
“I had the pleasure of sitting next to Hal on my flight back home,” Levy wrote on his post. “His daughter Pierce was our flight attendant who had to work over Christmas. Hal decided he would spend the holiday with her. So, he is flying on each of her flights today and tomorrow around the country to spend time with his daughter for Christmas. What a fantastic father! Wish you both a very Merry Christmas!”
According to Levy, Hal had a serious injury from falling off a tree earlier in the year. It must have been tough for him to stand at airports and go through lines for so long.
“He is still recovering from a neck injury from earlier in the year, which had left him quadriplegic for a period,” Levy wrote. “This was his first trip since the accident. I was amazed and thought he was such a phenomenal father for going well out of his way to be with his daughter.”
In a later interview with the New York Times, Hal explained why he couldn’t let his daughter spend the holidays alone. “I just felt terrible thinking about her spending her first Christmas alone, even though she’s 25.” Pierce might be all grown up, but she’s still his little girl.
Pierce was excited about how quickly their story went viral. She shared Levy’s post with the caption: “Dad’s first trip using his benefits was a success! A special thanks to all of the patient, wonderful gate agents around the country and my perfect crew. He made it on every flight and even got first class RSW-DTW (Christmas miracle). [Shout-out] to Mike Levy for being a great first-class passenger & helping us to understand how cool this actually is!”
