Southwest Flight Attendant Holds Crying Baby in Viral Video

A Southwest plane in a file photo. LM Otero/AP Photo

A Southwest Airlines flight attendant has been praised for taking a crying baby and comforting the infant during a recent flight.

Ashley Dowell of Rockford, Illinois, mother of the 9-month-old, said that she, her husband, and their three children were flying to Disney World in late April when the baby started screaming and crying.

“We’re feeling like we’re those people on the plane with the baby that’s crying and everyone wants to kick you off the plane,” Dowell told “Good Morning America.”

Dowell and her husband frantically tried to stop the crying as fellow passengers eyed them.

About 15 minutes went by and the situation didn’t get better. Then, a Southwest attendant came by and offered to hold the baby, Alayna.

“We were in such a small, confined, area, we were really desperate,” Dowell said. “He was so good with her, and so nurturing and caring and pretty instantaneously, she calmed down.”

The attendant, Wesley Hunt, walked with the baby in the aisle for about 15 minutes and the baby completely calmed down.

“He was rubbing her back, walking up and down the aisle like it was just a day in the park,” Dowell recalled. “Once he calmed her down, he handed her back to us and then we were able to get her back to sleep.”

“Normally people will offer to hold your baby when they’re not crying, but when they start crying they will usually try to give it back,” she added.

Hunt told “Good Morning America” that he loves babies and noticed that the Dowell family was struggling with a lot of luggage along with the children.

“In a world full of hate, I like to be a shining light to someone who needs it,” Hunt said. “I could tell in that particular moment her and her husband kind of needed a little light.”

Similar Situation Happened Recently

Southwest was praised for the recent situation as well as one that happened earlier in April.

Video footage taken by a passenger showed Southwest flight attendant Jessica Jackson holding a baby as passengers got onto the plane.

Jackson was a flight attendant on a flight from Austin, Texas, to Las Vegas and would keep an eye on the baby, Britton, during the flight.

The video was filmed during a second flight to Reno, the baby’s mother Savannah Blum told KTVN.

“Normally this little stinker sleeps during those times,” Blum said. “But she had no intention of doing that.”

Jackson said she wanted to help Blum out.

“As a mother myself I know what it’s like to travel with little ones,” Jackson said. “So as soon as I saw her just a little fussy, something just told me just go help her out, someone needs to help this mom out. Let me go ahead and just grab this little baby.”

Fellow passengers enjoyed what was going on, both Jackson and Blum said.

“They were blowing kisses back at her, giving her high-fives,” Jackson said. “So everybody actually enjoyed that flight that was a good one.” She said it was the first time someone recorded her holding a baby on a flight.

Southwest Airlines said in a statement obtained by NBC that its employees “take great pride in delivering our legendary Southwest Hospitality, so it’s not surprising that one of our amazing Flight Attendants shared her Southwest Heart while helping to care for one of our youngest customers in such a sweet, fun way!”