In the Trash
Ivelise Hernandez and her boyfriend, Rico, noticed an old man throw a mysterious object away in an airport trashcan. Perplexed, Ivelise asked her boyfriend to investigate. They were both shocked by what they found inside.
Going on a Trip
Ivelise and Rico were going to St. Pete – Clearwater International Airport for a short trip in February 2016. Ivelise would never have expected to run into trouble with the TSA that would change their entire day.
A Day to Remember
As the couple got ready to fly to Pittsburgh, they didn’t realize that they would forever remember this day. Ivelise is happy to look back on this day and smile at the good things she and her boyfriend did.
TSA Restrictions
We all know that there are some items we can’t bring on a plane. Ivelise noticed that a passenger in front of her was having a hard time with one of the TSA agents about an item they had. The man was told to throw his item out, but he pleaded with the agent to let him keep it.
Prohibited Items
The TSA (Transportation Security Administration) has a strict set of rules for what passengers can and cannot bring onto a plane. All liquid needs to be less than 3.4 ounces and kept in a clear plastic bag. It’s almost common knowledge by now, but it still surprises some passengers .
Sentimental
The item the passenger was asked to throw out was sentimental to him. He pleaded with the agent to let him keep the item with him. He man was heartbroken knowing that he probably wouldn’t win this fight.
Lost Argument
The man lost the argument and ended up throwing the item away. This is when Ivelise noticed the strange object being put in the trash.
Rico to the Rescue
Ivelise had to catch her flight, so she left Rico to retrieve the item and bring it home to investigate. They wanted to know why it was so special to the passenger that he fought with TSA to keep it.
Item of Value
The item turned out to be a snow globe with pictures of family members. “We love you Katie. Nana and Papa 1/25/16” was engraved on the base. Rico knew they had to find a way to get this item back to the man.
Detective Mode
Rico and Ivelise had no idea what they were going to do to track down the owner of the snow globe, they just knew they had to return the sentimental item to him.
The Power of Social Media
Without any information other than the inscription of the snow globe and knowing the man was at the airport, Rico and Ivelise took to social media in hopes of finding the owner.
Going Viral
The couple didn’t expect their post to catch very much attention, maybe a few hundred shares and likes. Before they knew it, thousands of people were sharing the post.
48,000
Shockingly, the post was shared over 48,000 on social media. It took just seven days for someone to come forward with more information.
Things Remembered
An employee from the store Things Remembered reached out and let them know that the snow globe had come from their store. The employee offered to do some more investigating to see who bought the item.
Linda Modry
The employee tracked down the customer – Linda Modry. The woman bought the snow globe for her granddaughter, Katie. The man at the airport turned out to be Katie’s father, bringing it home to her.
Media Attention
Fox News 13 caught wind of the story and decided to film a segment about the kind hearted couple returning the snow globe.
Thankful
Linda was shocked at the kindness these two strangers had shown her and her family. She knew how hard they worked to find them and return the snow globe.
Being Kind
“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,” Ivelise said to Fox News 13.
Exceptional People
Linda described the couple as “just exceptional.” She was shocked that such a young couple would take such close notice to an old man and his troubles at the airport.
Reunited
Linda now had the snow globe back in her possession to give to her granddaughter thanks to Ivelise and Rico. This time, Linda will be sure to get the snow globe to her granddaughter a different way.