Traveler Chokes Up Describing Failure to Get a Flight For Life-Saving Heart Transplant: ‘My Worst Fears Were Overwhelming Me’

HARLOW We have been ░░░░░░░░ a lot about the ░░░░░░░░ chaos and especially the ░░░░░░░░ that have crippled so ░░░░░░░░ operations But this story ░░░░░░░░ not about Southwest Airlines ░░░░░░░░ s a different airline ░░░░░░░░ with significant consequences because ░░░░░░░░ the storm A man ░░░░░░░░ Alaska was waiting for ░░░░░░░░ heart transplant After only ░░░░░░░░ been on the transplant ░░░░░░░░ for a few weeks ░░░░░░░░ Holland got a call ░░░░░░░░ a donor match had ░░░░░░░░ found and that he ░░░░░░░░ getting a healthy heart ░░░░░░░░ things quickly turned when ░░░░░░░░ flight he was on ░░░░░░░░ t make it from ░░░░░░░░ to Seattle because of ░░░░░░░░ storm His wife writing ░░░░░░░░ part on Facebook quote ░░░░░░░░ past 25 hours the ░░░░░░░░ traumatic difficult hours of ░░░░░░░░ s life Numerous times ░░░░░░░░ hopes and dreams were ░░░░░░░░ to astounding heights and ░░░░░░░░ left to tumble down ░░░░░░░░ the lowest depths of ░░░░░░░░ proportions often in the ░░░░░░░░ of an eye This ░░░░░░░░ repeated itself over and ░░░░░░░░ Patrick Holland is with ░░░░░░░░ His canceled flight meant ░░░░░░░░ a chance for that ░░░░░░░░ transplant And I want ░░░░░░░░ be clear this what ░░░░░░░░ was this HOLLAND It ░░░░░░░░ Alaska s air Alaska ░░░░░░░░ HARLOW OK and it ░░░░░░░░ because of the storm ░░░░░░░░ HOLLAND Yes because of ░░░░░░░░ storm HARLOW I m ░░░░░░░░ HOLLAND Alaska Airlines they ░░░░░░░░ they jumped through hoops ░░░░░░░░ get me to get ░░░░░░░░ there HARLOW I m ░░░░░░░░ I m so glad ░░░░░░░░ HOLLAND and it didn ░░░░░░░░ happen HARLOW so sorry ░░░░░░░░ didn t happen Can ░░░░░░░░ explain to people we ░░░░░░░░ heard what your wife ░░░░░░░░ what it has been ░░░░░░░░ for you because you ░░░░░░░░ t get to Seattle ░░░░░░░░ get the transplant HOLLAND ░░░░░░░░ was it was excellent ░░░░░░░░ was terrifying news to ░░░░░░░░ that I was going ░░░░░░░░ get a transplant To ░░░░░░░░ honest with you I ░░░░░░░░ terrified and then I ░░░░░░░░ excited So we caught ░░░░░░░░ first flight out We ░░░░░░░░ to the airport and ░░░░░░░░ was it was packed ░░░░░░░░ is unusual It was ░░░░░░░░ was packed because flights ░░░░░░░░ being canceled and I ░░░░░░░░ t realize that until ░░░░░░░░ went to the kiosk ░░░░░░░░ my flight was canceled ░░░░░░░░ after waiting in line ░░░░░░░░ an hour panicking and ░░░░░░░░ my flight was leaving ░░░░░░░░ a half an hour ░░░░░░░░ waved down a woman ░░░░░░░░ works for Alaska Airlines ░░░░░░░░ I and I told ░░░░░░░░ the situation I said ░░░░░░░░ I m on a ░░░░░░░░ transplant This is crucial ░░░░░░░░ she waved me to ░░░░░░░░ front of the line ░░░░░░░░ she said yes your ░░░░░░░░ has been canceled And ░░░░░░░░ I and then my ░░░░░░░░ sank And she said ░░░░░░░░ will get you on ░░░░░░░░ plane and she did ░░░░░░░░ got me on a ░░░░░░░░ And from there we ░░░░░░░░ we were diverted about ░░░░░░░░ through I didn t ░░░░░░░░ that because they had ░░░░░░░░ it but I guess ░░░░░░░░ my excitement of getting ░░░░░░░░ heart was HARLOW Yes ░░░░░░░░ overwhelming So HARLOW Yes ░░░░░░░░ But we were in ░░░░░░░░ for about four hours ░░░░░░░░ I heard the pilot ░░░░░░░░ that hey welcome to ░░░░░░░░ And I thought he ░░░░░░░░ be really tired because ░░░░░░░░ ve been in the ░░░░░░░░ for about four hours ░░░░░░░░ Oh HOLLAND and it ░░░░░░░░ t take four hours ░░░░░░░░ get to Anchorage And ░░░░░░░░ lady overheard me tell ░░░░░░░░ brother that and she ░░░░░░░░ over and she said ░░░░░░░░ phone says Anchorage And ░░░░░░░░ I started to panic ░░░░░░░░ then my phone said ░░░░░░░░ HARLOW Yes HOLLAND And ░░░░░░░░ my worst fears were ░░░░░░░░ me Because when you ░░░░░░░░ you hear that you ░░░░░░░░ like there s somebody ░░░░░░░░ a heart and they ░░░░░░░░ t I don t ░░░░░░░░ they can wait that ░░░░░░░░ because the longer it ░░░░░░░░ the longer the tissue ░░░░░░░░ So she said don ░░░░░░░░ worry She said this ░░░░░░░░ is for you and ░░░░░░░░ re going to wait ░░░░░░░░ catch the next flight ░░░░░░░░ And I so I ░░░░░░░░ OK great Then I ░░░░░░░░ I was lifted again ░░░░░░░░ was like this is ░░░░░░░░ is going to happen ░░░░░░░░ we got we got ░░░░░░░░ flight scheduled for like ░░░░░░░░ minutes later There was ░░░░░░░░ gentleman Roy there who ░░░░░░░░ accommodated us like I ░░░░░░░░ I was impressed I ░░░░░░░░ amazed He checked on ░░░░░░░░ every 10 minutes And ░░░░░░░░ brought back with very ░░░░░░░░ news that the flight ░░░░░░░░ canceled again So then ░░░░░░░░ called the heart transplant ░░░░░░░░ and she explained to ░░░░░░░░ that let s not ░░░░░░░░ up Let s keep ░░░░░░░░ But I realized in ░░░░░░░░ at the time there ░░░░░░░░ also a storm going ░░░░░░░░ I mean it was ░░░░░░░░ to watch it from ░░░░░░░░ the windows HARLOW Yes ░░░░░░░░ And then the second ░░░░░░░░ got canceled and then ░░░░░░░░ third flight got canceled ░░░░░░░░ and then I knew ░░░░░░░░ this point I knew ░░░░░░░░ told my brother I ░░░░░░░░ the next phone call ░░░░░░░░ not going to be ░░░░░░░░ And just as I ░░░░░░░░ calling her she was ░░░░░░░░ me back to tell ░░░░░░░░ that they were going ░░░░░░░░ give the heart to ░░░░░░░░ else HARLOW I cannot ░░░░░░░░ So HARLOW I can ░░░░░░░░ imagine getting that phone ░░░░░░░░ I mean you re ░░░░░░░░ 56 HOLLAND Yes HARLOW ░░░░░░░░ old You look younger ░░░░░░░░ Yes HARLOW You re ░░░░░░░░ 56 and you have ░░░░░░░░ 3 year old I ░░░░░░░░ we have some images ░░░░░░░░ I do HARLOW we ░░░░░░░░ show of you and ░░░░░░░░ child and your family ░░░░░░░░ our viewers because this ░░░░░░░░ what the heart means ░░░░░░░░ you HOLLAND Yes HARLOW ░░░░░░░░ This is about look ░░░░░░░░ that HOLLAND Yes HARLOW ░░░░░░░░ is about being able ░░░░░░░░ run around HOLLAND That ░░░░░░░░ HARLOW after your 3 ░░░░░░░░ old HOLLAND Right It ░░░░░░░░ tough to have a ░░░░░░░░ that wants to run ░░░░░░░░ not to have a ░░░░░░░░ that will let you ░░░░░░░░ it s it takes ░░░░░░░░ a lot But on ░░░░░░░░ same side I believed ░░░░░░░░ somebody else was going ░░░░░░░░ get a miracle HARLOW ░░░░░░░░ HOLLAND gift So we ░░░░░░░░ prayed for them So ░░░░░░░░ There are HOLLAND much ░░░░░░░░ else was going to ░░░░░░░░ So you ve got ░░░░░░░░ look at the bright ░░░░░░░░ of things On the ░░░░░░░░ side I got to ░░░░░░░░ back home to my ░░░░░░░░ and have a good ░░░░░░░░ with them again And ░░░░░░░░ is a big part ░░░░░░░░ me that feels like ░░░░░░░░ let them down by ░░░░░░░░ being in Seattle so ░░░░░░░░ blame my I blame ░░░░░░░░ for that part For ░░░░░░░░ HARLOW Hey Patrick no ░░░░░░░░ Because I once I ░░░░░░░░ I was active I ░░░░░░░░ have immediately made plans ░░░░░░░░ be there And I ░░░░░░░░ had no idea it ░░░░░░░░ going to happen so ░░░░░░░░ because I m I ░░░░░░░░ near the bottom of ░░░░░░░░ list number six so ░░░░░░░░ had no and we ░░░░░░░░ all the stories we ░░░░░░░░ it takes months HARLOW ░░░░░░░░ HOLLAND and it just ░░░░░░░░ to be a miracle ░░░░░░░░ be get an offer ░░░░░░░░ two and a half ░░░░░░░░ And I just I ░░░░░░░░ like I should have ░░░░░░░░ more proactive in being ░░░░░░░░ So I ll be ░░░░░░░░ next week HARLOW Please ░░░░░░░░ t HOLLAND if things ░░░░░░░░ out with HARLOW Please ░░░░░░░░ t blame please don ░░░░░░░░ blame yourself HOLLAND Right ░░░░░░░░ This is not your ░░░░░░░░ And let s can ░░░░░░░░ end it on some ░░░░░░░░ news That you ve ░░░░░░░░ some pretty amazing people ░░░░░░░░ Yes HARLOW reach out ░░░░░░░░ you from Seattle where ░░░░░░░░ need to be HOLLAND ░░░░░░░░ HARLOW and offer some ░░░░░░░░ great things for you ░░░░░░░░ Yes that s true ░░░░░░░░ It s been it ░░░░░░░░ been really great I ░░░░░░░░ had I ve had ░░░░░░░░ with three different people ░░░░░░░░ I know that live ░░░░░░░░ Seattle One was met ░░░░░░░░ foul play and two ░░░░░░░░ it just family members ░░░░░░░░ back in and it ░░░░░░░░ just wasn t working ░░░░░░░░ So I was actually ░░░░░░░░ through my churches that ░░░░░░░░ m involved with to ░░░░░░░░ up with an idea ░░░░░░░░ we were working on ░░░░░░░░ and then it that ░░░░░░░░ when I got the ░░░░░░░░ So I just wish ░░░░░░░░ could have been there ░░░░░░░░ it s they work ░░░░░░░░ nowadays and someone got ░░░░░░░░ miracle So HARLOW Yes ░░░░░░░░ that s what my ░░░░░░░░ was HARLOW I think ░░░░░░░░ shows what HOLLAND that ░░░░░░░░ else got to appreciate ░░░░░░░░ extra time HARLOW It ░░░░░░░░ what a what a ░░░░░░░░ heart you have And ░░░░░░░░ are all praying for ░░░░░░░░ new heart when that ░░░░░░░░ to come HOLLAND That ░░░░░░░░ right HARLOW Patrick Holland ░░░░░░░░ luck HOLLAND That s ░░░░░░░░ HARLOW And come back ░░░░░░░░ keep us posted all ░░░░░░░░ HOLLAND Thank you we ░░░░░░░░ yes definitely HARLOW OK ░░░░░░░░ Thank you for having ░░░░░░░░ HARLOW: “Thank you.”