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#trending: Teen reunites with SIA flight stewardesses from 2010 flight whom he regards as his 'childhood heroes'

SINGAPORE — In a scene straight out of a movie, a teenager in Singapore recently reconnected with two flight attendants who had taken care of him as a young child on a Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight in 2010.

Dominick O'Donnell and flight attendant Sandy recreated a photo (right), based on one taken 13 years ago (left) when they first met on board a Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore.

Dominick O'Donnell and flight attendant Sandy recreated a photo (right), based on one taken 13 years ago (left) when they first met on board a Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore.

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  • A teenager in Singapore recently reconnected with two flight attendants who had taken care of him as a young child on a Singapore Airlines flight in 2010
  • Dominick O’Donnell, now 17, first met Sandy and Alice when he was four and had always hoped to reconnect with them one day
  • Six years later, he chanced upon Sandy while on board another flight but they were both unable to find Alice
  • In an attempt to find her, he put up a photo on TikTok on May 2 
  • After his post went viral, a TikTok user responded claiming to be Alice

SINGAPORE — In a scene straight out of a movie, one teenager recently reconnected with two flight attendants who had taken care of him as a young child on a Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight in 2010.

In a TikTok photo carousel posted on Tuesday, Dominick O'Donnell, now 17, said that he first met Sandy and Alice when he was four years old.

His family, who was emigrating from London in England to Singapore, flew on flight SQ321, a 13-hour flight from Heathrow Airport that still runs today.

Photos posted by Dominick O’Donnell on his TikTok account on May 2, 2023, on his encounter with two flight attendants.

Over the course of the long-haul flight, Dominick forged a special bond with the two flight attendants, who "showered (him) with attention" and even wrote him a birthday card.

Sharing a series of fun photos taken on board the plane, he wrote: "We goofed around (evidently) and made lots of memories!"

Though he had no way of contacting the two attendants, whom he remembers as "Sandy" and "Alice", his parents often spoke of them as he was growing up and he thought of them as his "childhood heroes".

"I always hoped that one day our paths would cross again," he said.

Sure enough, six years later, his family chanced upon Sandy on a separate flight back to London where she recognised Mr O'Donnell, Dominick's father.

In another photo of Sandy and Dominick, taken during their second chance encounter in 2016, he wrote: "Of course, she pampered me again alllll flight and it was a special reunion!"

Just like Dominick, Sandy said that she had been "wondering what (he) was up to now, six years on, all grown up".

Alice, however, was not on the flight that second time. Sandy was not in contact with her either and had not seen her since the SQ321 flight in 2010.

Photos posted by Dominick O’Donnell on his TikTok account on May 2, 2023, of him with flight attendant Sandy in 2010 (left) and in 2016 (right).

Still, having finally found one of them, the O'Donnell family made sure to keep in contact with Sandy. The flight attendant also managed to finally share with the family the photos they had taken all those years ago — the same photos Dominick posted on TikTok.

The family recently met up with Sandy in Perth, Australia after finding out that they would all be there at the same time. That was when they recreated an adorable photo they had taken when they first met 13 years ago.

Following his reunion with Sandy, Dominick shared their "miracle story" on TikTok, hoping that it would help them find Alice.

"Please, TikTok, do your magic," he pleaded.

Since he posted the photo carousel on Tuesday, it has already received 366,200 views and 260 comments.

Viewers were touched by their deep connection and marvelled at the serendipitous reunion, calling it the "most wholesome flight story ever".

One top comment read: "I am not crying, you are."

Even Sandy herself was moved by the retelling.

"Beautiful journey in the last 13 years," she commented on Dominick's post. "Thanks for making this video. So precious and made me tear up.

"You will always be our little boy 🥰," she added.

Then just a few hours later, in the most heartwarming turn of events, a TikTok user commented on the photo post: "Hi Dominick... this is Alice 😁."

Both Dominick and Sandy quickly responded to the comment — as did many other TikTok users watching the exchange — expressing how glad they were to have found her.

One user remarked: "Oh my god the universe is truly amazing."

Another asked: "Is this a past life connection? It's just such a wonderful story."

Some praised the flight attendants for their hospitality, saying, "This is why SQ reigns supreme" and "This is the SQ ad I'm showing everybody from now on".

SQ is SIA's airline code for flights.

Others marvelled at the power of the internet, saying that it made them "feel so complete" to see both Sandy and Alice commenting on the TikTok post.

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