British Airways does an incredible job with their marketing videos. For example, British Airways’ 2013 “Visit Mum” campaign made me cry.
While nothing can top that, lately British Airways has been running an ad campaign that they call “BA Magic.” Through this, they encourage people to write in sharing a trip they’d like to take for a special reason, and British Airways (sometimes) makes it happen in a very special way. In the past I’ve shared the videos of British Airways helping a man propose to his girlfriend inflight, them helping an aunt get to Hong Kong for just 24 hours to surprise her nephew, and them helping a man take his first flight after brain surgery.
British Airways has just released their latest video in the BA Magic series, and I think this one is my favorite one yet (not that you can really choose between all of these inspiring stories). Here’s the background of what inspired this story:
Lisa wrote in to the airline’s BA Magic campaign to tell their story. She explained the couple had met in Australia in 2011 and moved together to the UK in 2012. Just before Hayley’s 30th birthday, Lisa took her to Paris and proposed. Hayley said yes, and the pair married in a beautiful ceremony in Derby surrounded by friends and family in August 2015.
The only people that couldn’t be there were Hayley’s mother, Debbie and father, Steve. Steve was recovering from Stage 4 tongue cancer and Debbie has the degenerative condition, Muscular Dystrophy, so the journey was just too much. They were there thanks to Facetime technology though, with Steve delivering a very proud father-of-the-bride speech.
The happy couple moved to Glasgow, where Lisa started her dream job as a police officer in one of the city’s most deprived areas, while Hayley pursued her passion, establishing herself as a blogger and vlogger of all things vintage.
Sadly their happy bubble burst just a year-and-a-half later when Hayley received the devastating news that Steve’s cancer had returned and was now terminal.
On Valentine’s Day this year, she rushed back to Australia leaving Lisa, their beloved pet dog, Hettie and all her friends behind in the UK.
Steve died peacefully with Hayley by his side on March 26.
Hayley has been in Australia ever since, helping her Mum sort through her Dad’s affairs and assisting her Mum through her own condition. Lisa and Hettie have moved back to Lisa’s home town of Derby, and she is now an officer for the West Midlands Police Force.
Here’s the video, which I find touching on so many levels (especially how they bring the mom on the trip):
Membership is free and takes no more information than commenting as a guest. Earn status points for good contributions, and see fewer ads as your status grows.