Marshall Hutcherson [FOUND SAFE] MSG from Milwaukee, WI since February 2007

[The Kitchen Guy]

U.S. Airways Employee Helps Family Bring Son Home
Ty Milburn
Katie DeLong

Link: Today's TMJ4 (NBC Affiliate, Milwaukee, WI)

MILWAUKEE – A young Milwaukee man missing for nearly a year is back home with his family.

Twenty-one-year old Marshall Hutcherson disappeared last February. His family says he's mentally ill and was off his medication when he left home.

Authorities found him in Philadelphia over the weekend, and his father got to fly out and pick him up thanks to a U.S. Airways employee.

This is a good story with a great ending. Sunday, Dennis Gray came to the ticket counter trying to get to Philadelphia. That's when he ran into a ticket agent who went out of her way to help Dennis bring his boy back home.

It was the answer to Dennis Gray's prayers.

"I thank God for another opportunity with him in his life,” Gray said.

For a year he has desperately searched for his son Hutch who went missing last January.. He was losing hope. Then, Sunday, Dennis got the call: Hutch was alive and well in Philadelphia.

He rushed off to the airport with little money to make the trip.

That's when he ran into Kathleen Simonelli.

“He needed to get to his son and it is certainly a far way to drive, and the bus and train schedule aren't so convenient. We had this flight to Philly and I knew I could get him there,” Simonelli said.

Kathleen was working the ticket counter at U.S. Airways. When she heard Dennis' story, she knew she had to help. So on the spot, she gave Dennis her discounted airline passes so he could bring hutch [sic] back home.

“There are so many of these stories with families of missing loved ones where the stories don't turn out well. So I just figured if this could have a happy ending that would be a great thing,” Simonelli said.

Father and son are so grateful for Kathleen’s act of kindness.

Monday, she downplayed it saying she didn't do anything her colleagues wouldn't have done.

She says she is just glad she could help.

“I am so overjoyed for them to have their boy back, and another opportunity to take care of him. So many families don't get that chance and I am so happy for him that he did,” Simonelli said.

[Pauli]

Yeah!!!! Finally one with a good ending :)

[The Kitchen Guy]

Kathleen Simonelli deserves credit in this case, too. Mr. Hutcherson didn't have enough money for all the airline tickets, and she provided her employee discounted rates for him.

It's good to know there are good people among us, too!

(I wonder if US Airlines has an employee recognition mechanism in place?)

[Roamer]

If they don't have, KG, they should. Really nice of her to help reunite this family.