LOWER SWATARA TOWNSHIP, DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. - It was a simple act of kindness that led to a viral social media post. A woman thanking the man sitting in 2D who gave up his first-class seat for her and her daughter on their way to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia on December sixth. That man was Jason Kunselman from Mechanicsburg.
"I saw a girl by herself with a small child and they were waiting to get on. She had a bunch of items and this oxygen machine and they boarded and I thought with all that stuff, she'd be up front in the roomy seats," said Kunselman. "I got on and she wasn't."
Kunselman then asked a flight attendant if he could switch seats with the woman. He says, this is the second time he's offered to switch seats on a flight. The first time, the person decline. This time, his offer was accepted.
"You can see she was crying when she was walking up and it was so quick. She said, 'Thank you, thank you," said Kunselman. "They had it stopped boarding because they had to bring her from the back and all I could say was 'You're welcome' and I headed out."
It wasn't until the next day Kunselman would see Zwick's Facebook post. After a hunting trip, he went to turn on his phone and saw a text from his wife.
"And she says, 'Have you seen what's going on on Facebook?' and I hadn't," said Kunselman. "She's like that whole thing with the girl went viral."
The post receiving almost 500,000 shares and nearly 800,000 likes. Kunselman was shocked his small act of kindness would get so much attention.
"It was sad that something that simple caused all this," said Kunselman. "And there's so many more people who do extraordinary things everyday."
Kunselman says he's now formed a friendship with Zwick and has talked to her everyday since. He hopes the attention he's getting will inspire more people to pay it forward.
"You never know what someone is going through," said Kunselman. "Hopefully it doesn't stop this month, it just carries on."
Kunselman left for a flight to Detroit Thursday afternoon. Coincidently that is where Zwick's sister lives, and he plans to meet her while he's there.