This First-Class passenger gave up his seat for a mom with a sick baby

One man’s kind act on an airplane went viral after the woman he helped went on social media to thank him.

Kelsey Zwick was traveling with her 11-month-old daughter, Lucy, from Orlando to Philadelphia on Dec. 6. The two were headed to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for Lucy’s regular treatment for chronic lung disease.

Zwick pre-boarded the American Airlines flight with her daughter, a stroller, a diaper bag and an oxygen machine for Lucy, who was born prematurely and has to receive oxygen at night and while flying.

But not long after the mother and baby had started settling into their seat at the back of the plane, a flight attendant came up to Zwick and told her a man wanted to trade his first-class seat for her coach seat.

“Not able to hold back tears, I cried my way up the aisle while my daughter Lucy laughed! She felt it in her bones too … real, pure, goodness,” Zwick posted on Facebook.

She added, “It reminded me how much good there is in this world. I can’t wait to tell Lucy someday. In the meantime… we will pay it forward. AA 588 passenger in seat 2D, we truly feel inspired by your generosity.”

Zwick, who never got the kind man’s name, asked people to share her post so she could identify and thank the stranger. As of Dec. 11, the Facebook post had been shared more than 456,000 times and received 712,000-plus reactions.

American Airlines saw the story after it went viral and contacted the “man in 2D,” Jason Kunselman.

The industrial engineer from Pennsylvania is a frequent business flyer and spotted the mom and her baby as he waited to board the same flight to Philadelphia. When he saw that the two were in a crowded coach seat, he asked a flight attendant if she thought they would be more comfortable in his seat.

In an interview with Inside Edition, Kunselman said seeing Zwick so emotional made him tear up as well before he headed to the back of the plane. He and Zwick have since been in touch via private message.

Comments left on Kunselman’s wife’s post about the act of kindness show that people who know him are not surprised.

“Jason, once again you’ve shown what a respectable, kind human being you are, and I am so proud and honored to call you my friend,” one Facebook friend commented. “The world would be a better place if there were more people like you!!”

Another friend said that Kunselman’s act of kindness inspired her to donate some of her American Airlines miles to the airlines’ charity program.

Two other fun facts about this viral story: It was Kunselman’s birthday when he swapped seats with Zwick. And he almost missed his connecting flight due to being so far back in the plane. What a generous guy!