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Single Dad Told to Remove His Prosthetic at the Airport — Then a Gold Star Mom Stepped In — Transcript

by Sweet Single Dad · 3,145 words · 496 segments · language en · Watch on YouTube

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0:00"Take off that fake leg right now, or
0:03you and your kid don't fly today."
0:05The security supervisor said it loud
0:07enough for the whole checkpoint to hear.
0:09200 travelers in terminal B turned to
0:11look. Some of them pulled out their
0:13phones. The man he said it to was a
0:16single father holding the hand of a
0:187-year-old boy.
0:20The boy had a juice box in his other
0:22hand and a medical bag on his back.
0:24He was already pale. His father didn't
0:27argue. He sat down on a metal bench,
0:29rolled up the leg of his jeans, and
0:31unlocked the prosthetic in front of
0:34everyone. You see, what the supervisor
0:36didn't know was that six names were
0:38engraved on the inside of that carbon
0:41fiber leg.
0:42And one of the women standing in that
0:44line was about to read her son's name on
0:46it. Within 30 minutes, the entire
0:49terminal would be standing in silence.
0:52But to understand why, you need to know
0:54who Wes Navarro was. Wes C.
0:57Wes Navarro was 41 years old. He worked
1:00as a maintenance technician for a
1:02hospital in Columbus, Ohio, fixing
1:04everything from broken beds to oxygen
1:06lines. He drove a gray minivan with
1:09190,000 miles on it. He wore the same
1:13pair of work boots until the soles came
1:15apart. And every morning at 6:30, he
1:18checked his son's blood sugar before
1:20breakfast. Micah was 7. He had his late
1:23mother's dark curls and a habit of
1:26narrating everything he did like a
1:28sports announcer. He had been diagnosed
1:31with type 1 diabetes when he was 4.
1:34Since then, Wes had learned to count
1:36carbohydrates in his head, wake up twice
1:39a night to check Micah's levels, and
1:41recognize the first signs of a crash
1:43before Micah even felt it.
1:45The pale lips, the sweaty forehead, the
1:48way his words started to slow down.
1:50Micah's mother, Elena, had died of an
1:52aneurysm when Micah was 3 on one
1:55ordinary Tuesday. She said she had a
1:58headache, lay down on the couch, and
1:59never woke up.
2:01Since then, it had been just the two of
2:03them. Their life ran on small routines.
2:06Pancakes on Saturday, cut into exactly
2:08four pieces so Wes could count the
2:11carbs. A whiteboard on the fridge with
2:14Micah's numbers written in green,
2:16yellow, and red.
2:17A nightlight shaped like a baseball.
2:19He's in a bedtime game where Micah
2:22called the last inning of an imaginary
2:24ballgame while his father checked his
2:26blood sugar one last time. "Bottom of
2:29the ninth," Micah would announce, half
2:31asleep. "Dad's team is losing." "Dad's
2:34team always comes back."
2:36Wes would answer and turn off the light.
2:39Money was tight. Wes made $46,000 a
2:42year.
2:43Micah's insulin and supplies cost almost
2:45$900 a month, even with insurance. So,
2:48Wes picked up weekend shifts, skipped
2:51lunches, and drove the old minivan long
2:54after it started making a noise he
2:55couldn't fix.
2:57He never once let Micah see him worry.
2:59People who met Wes saw a quiet man with
3:02a slight limp and grease under his
3:04fingernails. They didn't see the rest.
3:07Before the hospital job, Wes Nevero had
3:09spent nine years in the United States
3:11Army as a combat medic. Four
3:13deployments, two in Iraq, two in
3:15Afghanistan. In August of 2012, in a
3:18valley in Kandahar province, his patrol
3:21was hit by a roadside bomb. Six soldiers
3:24were badly wounded. The radio was
3:26destroyed. The nearest landing zone for
3:29a medical helicopter was almost 3 mi
3:31away across open ground under fire. Wes
3:34treated all six. Tourniquets, pressure
3:37dressings, breathing tubes.
3:39Then he carried the most badly injured
3:41one, a
3:4219-year-old specialist
3:45s- named Tommy Haynes, on his back
3:47toward the landing zone. He made it 2
3:49and 1/2 mi.
3:51Then a second bomb went off. Wes woke up
3:53in a hospital in Germany without his
3:55left leg below the knee. He was awarded
3:57the Silver Star for what he did in that
3:59valley.
4:01He never wore it. It sat in a shoe box
4:03in his closet next to Elena's wedding
4:05ring because not all six soldiers made
4:07it home.
4:08Tommy Haynes died in his arms before
4:11hundred yards from the helicopter. When
4:13Wes got his first permanent prosthetic,
4:16he asked the technician to engrave
4:17something on the inside where no one
4:20would see it.
4:21Six names, the six men from that day,
4:24the ones who lived and the ones who
4:25didn't.
4:27"So they walk with me," he told Micah
4:28once.
4:29"Every step I take, I take for them,
4:31too."
4:32Every November on Veteran's Day, Wes and
4:35Micah flew to Washington, D.C. to visit
4:37Arlington National Cemetery.
4:40Section 60, row 14, Tommy's grave.
4:44Micah always brought a drawing. This
4:46year, it was a picture of a soldier and
4:48a little boy holding hands. The flight
4:51was at 9:45 in the morning. They arrived
4:53at the airport
4:55at 7:15, which was early
4:57because Wes knew what airport security
4:59could be like with a prosthetic leg and
5:02a diabetic kid's medical bag. The
5:04medical bag held everything Micah
5:07needed to stay alive. His insulin pens,
5:09a glucose monitor, test strips, glucose
5:12tablets,
5:13two juice boxes and a doctor's letter
5:15explaining all of it. Normally, it took
5:1710 extra minutes.
5:18A quick swab of the prosthetic,
5:21a look through the medical bag, a polite
5:23thank you for your service. Today, the
5:26supervisor on duty at lane four was a
5:28man named Brent Mahoney. Brent was 44
5:32with a shaved head, a thick neck, and a
5:35reputation among the other officers
5:37for treating every shift like a power
5:39struggle.
5:40He'd been passed over for promotion
5:42twice. He took it out on the travelers.
5:45He looked at Micah's medical bag on the
5:46conveyor belt and pulled it off.
5:49"Liquids over 3 oz," he said.
5:52"Those juice boxes are going in the
5:53trash."
5:55"They're medically necessary," Wes said.
5:58He then handed him the doctor's letter.
6:00"My son is type 1 diabetic. If his blood
6:03sugar drops, he needs fast sugar. Juice
6:06is the fastest. Brent didn't read the
6:08letter. He tossed both juice boxes into
6:10the bin behind him. Then the glucose
6:12tablets. Anyone can print a letter.
6:15Micah tugged on his father's sleeve.
6:18"Dad," he whispered, "I feel kind of
6:20shaky."
6:21Wes looked down. The boy's lips were
6:23already pale.
6:25They had eaten breakfast at 6:30. Since
6:27the stress of the line was burning
6:28through his sugar faster than usual.
6:31He's going low right now.
6:33Wes said more firmly, "I need one of
6:35those juice boxes back. Just one."
6:38Brent smiled. It was not a kind smile.
6:41"Sir," he stepped through the scanner.
6:43Wes walked through. The machine beeped
6:45as it always did. "Prosthetic," Wes
6:47said. "Left leg, below the knee. I'm
6:50happy to do a private screening and a
6:52swab."
6:54Brent looked him up and down. The work
6:56boots, the faded jacket, the limp.
6:58"A prosthetic, huh? Funny how
7:00everybody's got a medical excuse today."
7:02"Fake juice letter, fake leg." A few
7:05people in line chuckled. A businessman
7:07in a gray suit muttered, "Come on. I've
7:10got a flight." "I'll take off that fake
7:13leg." Brent said loudly. "Right here.
7:16Put it on the belt or you and your kid
7:18don't fly today. There's a rule about
7:20that. Security officers are trained
7:23never to ask a person to remove a
7:24prosthetic in public. If extra screening
7:27is needed, it happens in a private room
7:30with a trained officer."
7:32Brent knew the rule. He didn't care. Wes
7:34looked at his son.
7:36Micah was holding on to the edge of the
7:38conveyor belt, now swaying a little. Wes
7:40had a choice. He could argue, ask for a
7:44manager, and wait 20 minutes while his
7:46son's blood sugar kept falling. Or he
7:48could do what he was told and get his
7:50boy his juice.
7:52He didn't hesitate. He sat down on the
7:54metal bench in front of 200 strangers.
7:57He rolled up the left leg of his jeans.
8:00He pressed the release button and slid
8:02the carbon fiber prosthetic off his leg.
8:05The silicone liner came off with a soft
8:08sound. His scarred stump was there for
8:10everyone to see. Someone in the line
8:12gasped.
8:13The businessman in the gray suit stopped
8:15talking. Wes held the prosthetic out to
8:18Brent.
8:20There, now give my son his juice. Brent
8:22took the leg and set it on the conveyor
8:24belt like a piece of luggage. He see it
8:26rolled into the x-ray machine. You'll
8:28get your juice when I'm done.
8:30Wes sat on the bench, one leg of his
8:32jeans empty and folded, and pulled Micah
8:35onto his lap.
8:36He pressed his hand to the boy's
8:38forehead.
8:39It was damp. Talk to me, buddy. What's
8:41the score?
8:43Bottom of the ninth, Micah whispered,
8:45trying to smile. Dad's team is losing.
8:48Dad's team always comes back, Wes said.
8:51Before I tell you what happened next, he
8:53I want to ask you something. Wes carried
8:55six names with him every single day on
8:58the inside of his leg where nobody could
8:59see them. Who is one name you carry?
9:03A father, a grandmother, a friend,
9:06someone who served, or someone who
9:07simply never gave up on you.
9:10Write their name in the comments.
9:12Let's make sure they're remembered
9:13today, the way Wes remembered his six.
9:16Now, let's go back to lane four. The
9:19prosthetic came out the other side of
9:20the x-ray machine.
9:22Brent picked it up, turned it over, and
9:25looked inside the socket. He frowned.
9:28There was writing engraved along the
9:29inner wall in small, neat capital
9:31letters. He read the first name out loud
9:33mocking. SSG R. Delgado, what's this
9:36your fan club? He kept going in the same
9:38bored voice. SPC M. Okafor, SGT J.
9:41Pruitt, PFC D. Lindquist, CPL A. Benton.
9:45He turned the leg a little further
9:46toward the light.
9:47SPC T. Haynes. Three lanes over, a woman
9:51dropped her purse.
9:53She was in her late 60s, small with
9:55silver hair pulled back in a navy
9:57cardigan.
9:58On the lapel of that cardigan, was a
10:00small gold pin shaped like a star.
10:03Not many people in that line knew what
10:05it meant. It was a gold star pin given
10:08only to the mothers of soldiers who died
10:10in combat. Her name was Loretta Haynes
10:13and she was flying to Washington that
10:15morning to visit her son's grave at
10:17Arlington.
10:18Section 60, row 14. She stepped out of
10:22her line. Then she pushed past the rope
10:24barrier. You see an officer called out,
10:27"Ma'am." But she didn't stop. She walked
10:30straight up to Brent Mahoney, took the
10:32prosthetic leg out of his hands with
10:34surprising strength and read the last
10:37name herself. Her her hand began to
10:39shake.
10:40"Where did you get this?" she asked.
10:42She wasn't asking Brent. She was looking
10:45at the man sitting on the bench with one
10:46leg and a pale little boy in his lap.
10:49Wes looked up at her face. He had seen
10:52it once before. He'd seen a photograph
10:54Tommy kept in his helmet.
10:56"Mrs. Haynes." he said quietly before
10:58Loretta could say another word. Micah's
11:00head dropped against his father's chest.
11:03"Dad." he mumbled. "I can't see right."
11:07Wes knew immediately. Severe low, maybe
11:09under 50.
11:10In a few minutes Micah could have a
11:12seizure. "Juice." Wes said. His voice
11:15suddenly hard and clear, the voice of a
11:17combat medic.
11:18"Now the bin behind you. Red juice box.
11:21This now." Brent didn't move. He just
11:24stood there but Micah did.
11:26The 7-year-old slid off his father's lap
11:28wobbling. Wes reached for him but with
11:31one leg he couldn't stand fast enough.
11:33As Micah stumbled the three steps to the
11:35bin, plunged his small arm into the pile
11:38of confiscated water bottles and shampoo
11:41and pulled out one red juice box. His
11:43hands were shaking too badly to get the
11:45straw in.
11:47"Bring it here." bud. Wes said gently.
11:50"You did it. Bring it to dad."
11:52Micah staggered back and fell into his
11:54arms. Wes punched the straw through with
11:56one thumb, held the box to his son's
11:58lips and squeezed. Little sips. Good.
12:01Keep going. That's my guy.
12:04Wes had his fingers on Micah's wrist
12:06counting his pulse.
12:07He pulled the glucose monitor from the
12:09medical bag with his other hand and
12:12scanned the sensor on Micah's arm. 44.
12:15He kept the juice going. He talked to
12:17Micah the whole time, calm and low,
12:20the way he had once talked to six
12:23bleeding soldiers in a valley on the
12:25other side of the world.
12:26200 people watched in total silence.
12:29After 4 minutes, Wes Micah's eyes
12:31cleared. After 7, the color came back
12:34into his lips. Wes scanned the sensor
12:36again. 81. Micah blinked up at him. Did
12:40dad's team come back? Wes laughed and it
12:43came out half a sob. Bottom of the
12:45ninth. Walk-off home run.
12:48Loretta Haynes knelt down on the dirty
12:51airport floor next to them,
12:52still holding the prosthetic leg against
12:55her chest like it was something
12:56precious. She looked at Wes for a long
12:59time.
13:00"They told me a medic carried Tommy,"
13:02she said. "They said he carried him
13:05almost 3 miles under fire. They said the
13:08medic lost his leg trying to get him to
13:10the helicopter. I wrote letters to the
13:12army for 14 years asking for his name.
13:15They told me he wanted to stay private."
13:17Wes's eyes filled.
13:19"I didn't think I deserved to meet you,
13:21ma'am. I didn't get him home." Loretta
13:24shook her head slowly.
13:26"You held his hand," she said. "They
13:28told me that, too. He wasn't alone. My
13:30boy wasn't alone."
13:32She pressed her fingers against the
13:33engraved letters on the inside of the
13:35leg. "He and you've been carrying him
13:37every day since."
13:38She turned to face the line of
13:40travelers.
13:41Her small voice carried across the whole
13:44checkpoint. "This man is a Silver Star
13:46recipient. He carried my son 2 and 1/2
13:49miles under enemy fire. He lost this leg
13:52doing it."
13:53She lifted the prosthetic
13:55and somebody in this airport just made
13:57him take it off in front of his child.
13:59Somewhere near the back of the line, a
14:01young man in an army uniform stood up
14:04straight. Then another. There was a
14:06group of 11 soldiers in lane six heading
14:09out for training at Fort Bragg. One by
14:12one, they came to attention and raised
14:14their hands in a salute. A retired
14:17Marine near the windows
14:19stood up from his chair and did the
14:22same. Then the businessman in the gray
14:24suit set down his briefcase and stood
14:26still. He sent across terminal B. More
14:29and more people stopped walking.
14:31Travelers at the coffee stand, families
14:33at the gate, airport workers at the
14:35shops. Nobody told them to. They just
14:38stopped. The entire terminal stood
14:41still. He
14:42Brent
14:43Mahoney's face had gone the color of
14:46paper. That was when a woman in a dark
14:48blazer came walking quickly from the
14:50direction of the administrative offices.
14:53She was the federal security director
14:55for the whole airport, Patrice Odom.
14:57Someone in line had sent her a video.
15:00She looked at the empty fold of Wes's
15:01jeans,
15:03at the juice box in the boy's hand, at
15:05the trash bin full of medical supplies.
15:07Then she looked at Brent. Did you order
15:09this man to remove his prosthetic in
15:11public?
15:13Ma'am, I was following screening.
15:15No, Patrice said.
15:18Our policy is clear. Private screening,
15:20trained officer, never in public. You
15:22threw away a child's medical supplies
15:25after his father showed you a doctor's
15:27letter.
15:28Her voice dropped. That boy could have
15:30had a seizure on your checkpoint.
15:32She held out her hand. Your badge and
15:34your ID. You're relieved of duty.
15:37Effective now, pending investigation.
15:40Brent stood frozen for a moment. Then he
15:42unclipped his badge and placed it in her
15:44palm. 200 phones recorded it. He started
15:47to walk away. Then he stopped next to
15:50the bench. He looked at Micah, who was
15:52finishing his juice and watching him
15:54with big serious eyes.
15:56I'm sorry, Brent said. His voice was
15:58rough.
15:59I'm sorry, kid. Micah thought about it
16:01the way only a 7-year-old can.
16:04My dad says you should say sorry to the
16:06sick, too, he said, pointing to the leg
16:08in Loretta's arms.
16:10They were standing right there. Brent
16:12looked at the engraved names. He
16:15swallowed hard. Then he nodded to the
16:17leg once, like he was speaking to the
16:19men themselves, and walked away without
16:22another word. Patrice Odom personally
16:25escorted Wes, Micah, and Loretta to the
16:27gate.
16:29The airline moved all three of them into
16:31the first row. When the captain heard
16:33the story, he made an announcement
16:35over the speakers before takeoff.
16:38"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a Silver
16:40Star recipient on board today, flying
16:42with his son to Arlington National
16:44Cemetery.
16:46We also have a Gold Star mother going to
16:48visit her boy. Please join me in
16:50welcoming them." The applause lasted the
16:53whole time. The plane taxied to the
16:55runway. That afternoon at Arlington
16:57National Cemetery, section 60, row 14,
17:02three people stood in front of a white
17:03headstone, Specialist Thomas J. Haynes,
17:071993 to 2012. Loretta laid a small
17:10bouquet of yellow roses.
17:13Wes stood at attention on both legs, his
17:15prosthetic back on, and saluted, and
17:17Micah stepped forward with his drawing.
17:20A soldier and a little boy holding
17:22hands. He had added something on the
17:24airplane in purple crayon, six small
17:27stick figures standing behind the
17:28soldier, and a seventh, a little taller,
17:31with a curly-haired woman beside him.
17:34"Who's that?" Loretta asked, pointing to
17:37the woman.
17:38"That's my mom," Micah said.
17:40"And that's Tommy. Dad says they're all
17:42walking with us now."
17:44Loretta put her hand over her mouth.
17:46Then she knelt down and hugged the
17:48little boy for a long time. When she
17:50stood up, she took off the Gold Star pin
17:53from her cardigan and pinned it gently
17:55on Micah's jacket.
17:57"Then you'd better keep them safe," she
17:59said. "Some people judge a man by how he
18:01walks into a room." Brent Mahoney did.
18:04He saw a limp, a pair of old boots, and
18:06a medical bag, and decided the man in
18:08front of him was a liar. But the truth
18:11was engraved on the inside of that leg
18:13the whole time.
18:14Six names. Every step Wes Navarro took,
18:18he took for them. And on that morning in
18:20Terminal B, for a few I silent minutes,
18:23an entire airport walked with him. If
18:25this story touched your heart, please
18:27like this video and subscribe to Sweet
18:29Single Dad for more stories about
18:33fathers who never stop fighting for
18:35their children.
18:36And don't forget to write one name in
18:38the comments today, someone you carry
18:40with you. Thank you for watching. I'll
18:43see you in the next story.

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