At a towering 7’1”, Beau Brown has a huge problem. As a literal giant, Beau has to continually duck under door frames, hunt extensively for shoe stores that offer size 18, and account for legroom everywhere he goes. As he was going on a five hour long flight, he paid an extra $150 for a Delta Comfort Plus seat for enough legroom to just modestly fit inside the plane. Unfortunately, it not only didn’t provide enough legroom, but he had to keep his neck bent to fit under the overhead bin above him. “Luckily, there was an angel in front of me,” said Beau.

The person sitting next to Beau remarked, “Dude, you barely fit in this one,” as Beau took it all in good nature, and chatted with his seat neighbor and their cute dog. Overhearing their conversation and seeing Beau’s discomfort, a petite woman sitting right in front of Beau offered him her exit row seat.

@bigbeaubrown That was about to be a brutal 5 hours! Shout out to my plane seat angel❤️ ♬ original sound – BigBeauBrown

That was about to be a brutal 5 hours! Shout out to my plane seat angel❤️ ♬ original sound – BigBeauBrown

“Do you want to switch seats with me?” the woman asked. “I’m very short.”

Beau accepted her offer and graciously thanked her. The woman even picked up the chocolate bar he accidentally dropped in the aisle and gave it to him as he switched seats. While it wasn’t enough room for a fully comfortable plane ride, it was significantly better and safer for him to sit there.

“That was the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me on a plane,” said Beau.

This isn’t the first time Beau has had seat issues on planes. In 2021, he was kicked off his flight for being too tall and had to go on a different flight with a bigger plane. Even a first class seat didn’t fit him.

@bigbeaubrown I didn’t fit on my plane so they gave me first class. It was probably because of my @cuts hoodie and joggers. They said dang this dude got CLASS. First class was still tight. #fyp #travel #tall ♬ Infinity – Jaymes Young

I didn’t fit on my plane so they gave me first class. It was probably because of my @cuts hoodie and joggers. They said dang this dude got CLASS. First class was still tight. #fyp #travel #tall ♬ Infinity – Jaymes Young

The comments lauded this act of generosity:

“I love that you didn’t ASK anyone to switch seats and throw a fit when they say no, like we see so often nowadays. And she was so sweet to offer! This is how humans should treat each other!”

“Dang you lucked out with the people around you at least.”

“It’s so nice to see somebody doing something nice for once, instead of rage bait.”

“Shout out to the girl!! How nice of her, nice people don’t get enough acclaim.”

“How kind of her, and you’re so sweet how appreciative you are.”

Other commenters sympathized with Beau’s plight about height on flights:

“At 6’3″, I struggle on economy these days. I can’t imagine flying anything other than business/first at your size.”

“I’m 6’9” and I can empathize.”

“It’s rough enough at 6’ with my height in my legs. I can’t imagine another foot to fold in. Bless her.”

“Dude, I’m 6’2 and am the most uncomfortable on planes. I can’t imagine being even an inch taller let alone a foot.”

“My husband travels almost weekly for work and has this constant battle as well and he is 6’10”! I think if your ID says a height above a certain point you should NOT be charged for needing extra room to exist!”

@deltafox757 Pick the best #plane seats! #travel #levelup #wtff #foryou #xyzbca #aviation #xplane11 #gamer #airbus #pilot #flightsimulator #flightsim #galaxyfold ♬ original sound – DeltaFox

Pick the best #plane seats! #travel #levelup #wtff #foryou #xyzbca #aviation #xplane11 #gamer #airbus #pilot #flightsimulator #flightsim #galaxyfold ♬ original sound – DeltaFox

All tall puns aside, the height issue on planes is pretty big. It’s not just a problem with super-tall folks like Beau, but also with people who are even a foot shorter than him. With the average male height being 5’9”, this means that anyone 5’11” and above is considered “tall.” Anyone above that height has to pay more for a seat that modestly fits them, not just for comfort reasons but safety reasons as well. Not only that, but they are competing with others to get to those few extra space seats as more airlines have shrunken them to accommodate more passengers per flight to sell more tickets.

Let’s let this story be one of cooperation between the tall and the short. For every shelf reached for a shorter person by a taller person, a dropped item is picked up by a person closer to the ground. For every tiny adult shoe size at a store, an above-average size is offered at the same price. For every seat switched on an airplane so a tall person can be more comfortable, a seat could be switched with taller person at a concert or movie theater so the shorter person can see. A little kindness can make a big difference regardless of size.

This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated.

While a bottle of bubbles might seem out of place in a hospital setting, you might be surprised to learn that, for thousands of children around the world born with cleft lip and palate, they can be a helpful tool in comprehensive cleft care. Lilia, who was born with cleft lip and palate in 2020, is one of the many patients who received this care. 

As a toddler, Lilia underwent two surgeries to treat cleft lip and palate with Operation Smile’s surgical program in Puebla, Mexico. Because of Operation Smile’s comprehensive care, it wasn’t long before her personality transformed: Lilia went from a quiet and withdrawn toddler to an exuberant, curious explorer, babbling, expressing herself with a variety of sounds, and engaging with others like any child her age. 

Lilia is now a healthy five-year-old, with the same cheerful attitude and boundless energy. Her progress is the result of care at every level, from surgery to speech therapy to ongoing support at home—but it’s also evidence that small, sustained interventions throughout it all can make a meaningful difference. 

Cleft Conditions: A Global Problem

Since 1982, Operation Smile has provided cleft lip and cleft palate surgeries to more than 500,000 patients worldwide with the help of generous volunteers and donors. Cleft conditions are congenital conditions, meaning they are present at birth. With cleft lip and palate, the lip or the roof of the mouth do not form fully during fetal development. Cleft conditions put children at risk for malnutrition and poor weight gain, since their facial structure can make feeding challenging. But cleft conditions can have an enormous social impact as well: Common difficulties with speech can leave kids socially isolated and unable to meet the same developmental milestones as their peers. 

Surgery is a vital step in treating cleft conditions, but it’s also just one part of a much larger solution. Organizations like Operation Smile emphasize the importance of multi-disciplinary teams that provide comprehensive, long-term care to patients across many years. This approach, which includes oral care, speech therapy, nutritional support, and psychosocial care, not only aids in physical recovery from surgery but also helps children develop the skills and confidence to eat easily, speak clearly, and engage in everyday life. This ensures that each patient receives the full range of support they need to thrive. 

A Playful (and Powerful) Solution

Throughout a patient’s care, simple tools like bubbles can play a meaningful role from start to finish. 

Immediately before surgery, children are often in a new and unfamiliar environment far from home, some of them experiencing a hospital setting for the first time. When care providers or loved ones blow bubbles, it’s a simple yet effective technique: Not only are the children soothed and distracted, the bubbles also help create a sense of joy and playfulness that eases their anxiety. 

In speech therapy, bubbles can take on an even more important role. Blowing bubbles requires controlled airflow, as well as the ability to form a rounded “O” shape with the lips, which are skills that children with cleft conditions may struggle to develop. Practicing these skills with bubbles allows children to gently strengthen their facial muscles, improve breath control, and support the motor skills needed for speech development. Beyond that, blowing bubbles can help kids connect with their parents or providers in a way that’s playful, comforting, and accessible even for very young patients. 

Finally, bubbles often follow patients with cleft conditions home in the “smile bags” that each patient receives when the surgical procedure is finished. Smile bags, which help continue speech therapy outside of the hospital setting, can contain language enrichment booklets, a mirror, oxygen tubing, and bubbles. While regular practice with motor skills can help with physical recovery, small acts of play help as well, giving kids space to simply enjoy themselves and join in on what peers are able to do.

Bubbles at Home and Beyond

Today, because of Operation Smile’s dedication to comprehensive cleft care, Lilia is now able to make friends and speak clearly, all things that could have been difficult or impossible before. Instead of a childhood defined by limitation, Lilia—and others around the world—can look forward to a childhood filled with joy, learning, discovery, friends, and new possibilities.  

CTA: Lilia’s life was changed for the better with the care she received through Operation Smile. Find out how you can make an impact in other children’s lives by visiting operationsmile.org today. 

Having a big, expensive wedding seems like the worst way for a young couple to start their lives together. For those who get mom and dad to foot the bill, no problem. But in the U.S., 28% of couples reported going into debt when paying for their weddings and the average celebration costs $36,000.

“It’s one of those life events that’s really tied to emotion, to your values, what’s important to you,” researcher Elyssa Kirkham told CNBC. ”[People are] willing to take on debt and do that trade-off if it means they can get closer to achieving their dream.” Kiara Brokenbrough and her........

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