Airline helps reunite couple after family tragedy tears them apart
British Airways has reunited couple Lisa Harris and Hayley Angell who, due to a family tragedy, live 10,000 miles apart – one woman in the UK and one woman in Australia.
The gorgeous couple met in Australia in 2011, before moving to the UK together in 2012. Just before Hayley’s 30th birthday, Lisa took her to Paris and proposed. The couple were married in August 2015, surrounded by family and friends.
Sadly, Hayley’s parents were unable to attend the ceremony. Hayley’s father, Steve, was recovering from stage 4 tongue cancer, while Debbie, Hayley’s mother, has the degenerative condition, muscular dystrophy. The prospect of a 24-hour journey was simply too much for them both.
Their happy bubble burst on Valentine’s Day this year after Hayley received the devastating news that Steve was terminally ill. Leaving behind Lisa, their beloved dog and friends, Hayley rushed back to Australia to be with her parents. Steve died peacefully with Hayley by his side on March 26.
Hayley has remained in Australia ever since, helping her mum sort through her dad’s affairs and assisting her mum with her own condition.
Lisa got in touch with the British Airways Magic team, in an effort to reunite the pair. After weeks of planning, Hayley was surprised with a pair of return business class tickets from Sydney to London for Hayley and Debbie. Waiting for them at Heathrow was Lisa, complete with balloons, flowers and their dog, for an emotional reunion.
Hayley said: “I couldn’t believe it and it certainly didn’t sink in until I was back in the UK! It all happened so fast and was like a dream. One day I was at a conference, the next I was in a British Airways business class seat on my way to London to be reunited with my wife!
“Being able to take the trip with Mum was the most special thing and it has meant the world to her. She’d never been on a long-haul flight before and it would have been Dad's dream to take her on holiday like this. It has awakened so many possibilities within her.”
“It was so wonderful to see them both appear through arrivals and we had the most amazing time seeing friends and family, visiting Buckingham Palace, walking the gardens of Chatsworth House, touring villages with thatched roofs, savouring proper Cornish pasties and sipping champagne on the London Eye.”
British Airways is asking customers who have booked a trip with them to email their stories in, in the hope of making their trip a little bit more magical.
Customers can visit the BA Magic page to watch Lisa’s and Hayley’s video as well as share their own
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