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LUV Mail: A Heart for Max

chughey
Explorer A

As we were opening our most recent batch of LUV Mail, a hand-written card caught my eye. The card was addressed to PC CS&S Customer Representative Edie Sjoberg and praised her generous actions to our Customers, Patricia Cioppa, and Michele Marangella, during their time of need for a medical procedure for their son, Max. “As I cried on the phone, you heard the pain in my voice and through your sacrifice of your own mileage points, we were able to face this trip as a family,” writes Patricia. Wow. What a true example connecting our Customers with what is important in their lives. It all started with a phone call between Edie and Patricia. During the conversation, Patricia had expressed dismay that, even with our low fares, she could not afford to purchase travel for both she and her husband to accompany their fifteen-year-old son, Max, to John Hopkins Hospital in Maryland. She shared that Max has been undergoing treatment for a serious heart condition and the extent of their travel has been a struggle for their family. Edie saw that she had enough Rapid Rewards points to cover one of the tickets, so she generously offered her points to Patricia. Because of Edie, all three members of the Marangella family traveled together to Johns Hopkins. Patricia wrote in her card how much Edie’s generosity meant, saying, “Our lives as parents of a seriously, chronically ill child [are] a daily battle. We battle disease and chronic pain, but unfortunately, we also battle medical debt and financial strains ... it is through the kindness of people like you that we thrive and continue on our journey.” We recently had the opportunity to introduce Max and his family to Edie in person so Edie could give them a physical embrace, beyond the support she gave them during their phone call. As you can see in the video, Edie’s decision to go above and beyond made a world of difference for their whole family. At the bottom of Patricia’s card, Max wrote his own message of gratitude. “Because of you and your generosity, I got to have both my mom and dad with me at the hospital.” For Edie, the Rapid Reward Points were a small price to pay for what they gave to Patricia, Michele, and Max. And her actions made a difference—they touched a family’s heart. “Edie, you are precisely why we always try to fly for Max’s care at Johns Hopkins with Southwest. You have a big heart and we were so blessed to 'meet' you,” wrote Patricia.