Mrs. Afega Taylor and her daughter, who was in critical condition at LBJ Medical Center and needed to travel off island for medical treatment, were able to secure two seats on last Friday night’s Hawaiian Airlines flight to Honolulu.

“There has been so much tremendous outpour of support for us from the community,” Mrs. Taylor told Samoa News last Friday afternoon, saying that the pair was able to secure two seats from Treasury Department, on the already fully booked flight.

“I am so very grateful that we’re able to get the two seats,” she said in a brief phone interview. She said she learned around it at 4p.m. last Thursday of the two seats given up by the Treasury Department and she finally got the official confirmation the next morning.

As previously reported by Samoa News the Taylor family was wiling to compensate anyone to give up their seats for last Friday’s flight.

Mrs. Taylor says they didn’t have to put up any compensation for the two seats “and I’m very thankful to everyone for their support and prayers.”

“There were even passengers wiling to give up their seats on Monday’s flight (May 8th),” she said and again expressed sincere appreciation to the public for the outpour of support and willing to help.  She said that her daughter was stable enough for the five-hour flight to Honolulu on Friday night.

Hawaiian Airlines confirmed early Friday evening that the Taylors were to travel to Honolulu on the Friday night flight.

Mrs. Taylor’s daughter is a government employee, working at the Commerce Department, and staff there reached out to friends and families to help their co-worker.

 Samoa News last Friday afternoon also received word from DOC staff that “our co-worker has secured seats on the flight.”

The doctor “also confirmed that she is stable and able to travel,” said one DOC senior official in a message to Samoa News. “So many people responded through facebook and email offering help. Fa'afetai tele and please pray for her speedy recovery.”

Based on a request from the family, Samoa News is not identifying the patient by name.