After Jon Hetherington took to TikTok with a heartfelt video about missing out on a Beyoncé show due to airline issues with his wheelchair, he finally got a chance to see — and even hug — the singer.
In a now-viral clip, captioned “Ableism strikes again,” Hetherington shared his experience with an unnamed airline that couldn’t accommodate him because his wheelchair was “apparently 4 inches too tall to be loaded on the plane.” That caused him to miss his flight to Seattle, making his 25-year wait to see Queen Bey an even longer journey.
But once the video reached the Beyhive, the hardcore Beyoncé fanbase stepped in.
Messages filled the man’s comment section — many of which offered words of encouragement, as well as their own tickets to the show; most pointed to the need to get Beyoncé and/or her team involved.
And they did get involved. And he did finally get to see one of his favorite artists.
Hetherington attended a Renaissance show in Houston after representatives for Beyoncé reached out to him, according to The New York Times. Not only did he get a floor seat, they arranged for his travel, including the flight, says The Times.
Sharing a picture of himself at the concert, Hetherington posted about the special moment on Instagram, writing, “Beyhive, you made this happen, you pushed and tagged like the internet has never seen.”
“Welcome to the RENAISSANCE,” he added.
In another image posing alongside Tina Knowles, Hetherington thanked her daughter, “the Queen,” for “those words you said and the hugs you gave.”
Amid his travel issues, Hetherington shared another TikTok video, delving deeper into problems he encounters flying with a wheelchair in an effort to bring awareness to people with disabilities.
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