Pregnant Woman Meets Stranger on a Plane Who Decides to Adopt Her Baby

On a fateful flight that neither of them should have been on, two women exchanged numbers and conversed as if they had always known each other. Their chance encounter led to a life-changing, familial connection.

Have you ever enjoyed talking to a stranger? Perhaps it was because the two of you instantly clicked and shared the same emotional frequency? Or maybe, conversing with them made you feel lighter and understood.

Something similar happened with Samantha Snipes and Temple Phipps when they sat next to each other on the plane. Fortunately, their first meeting was all it took for the two ladies to become friends and family.

ESCAPING A HARD LIFE

24-year-old Snipes's life was turned topsy-turvy when she found herself pregnant by her abusive then-boyfriend. She was excited to embrace motherhood and hopeful that her boyfriend would help her raise their child.

But she was proven wrong when he resorted to more aggression, and the abuse continued. Snipes was three months pregnant when she decided to leave her abusive relationship.

She told PEOPLE: “I knew I loved this life inside of me, but I didn’t love myself or the place I was in at that time. I loved [my son] so much, and that’s why knew he deserved better (sic)."

FEELING LOST AND SCARED

Snipes narrated everything to her mother, who booked her a flight to Arkansas. Soon afterward, she started living with her mother and her girlfriend. She spent her pregnancy in depression, struggling to carve a future for herself and her unborn child.

The two ladies even celebrated Vaughn's first birthday together.

Initially, Snipes considered abortion because she was in a dark and lonely place, unprepared for motherhood. Luckily, her mother convinced her to opt for adoption, and she started looking for adoption agencies.

AN IMPULSIVE DECISION

Her mother offered to raise her baby during this time, but Snipes knew she wasn't her best option. Her mother had a drinking problem and wasn't fit to care for a child. Snipes didn't want her child to grow in an unstable environment.

Unsure about what to do, Snipes sought refuge in online games, and it was there that she found her future partner. She felt crazy and confused when she decided to fly from Arkansas to North Carolina to meet him at eight months pregnant.

Sadly, she missed her connecting flight and was booked from Atlanta to Raleigh on standby. It was then that she found herself seated to a 42-year-old Clayton, North Carolina resident, Phipps.

A CHANCE ENCOUNTER

Interestingly, the two women started conversing and thoroughly enjoyed each other's company. Snipes described Phipps as a "welcoming and sweet person" who made her feel less scared and alone.

The two ladies talked, laughed, cried, and shared stories throughout their one-hour flight. Snipes related her life's struggles, while Phipps mentioned her battle with fostering and adoption as a single woman.

Phipps also told WRAL: "I had been married, but have been single for quite a while now and always wanted children...but my parents are divorced, and I was very cautious about how I wanted to have a family and with whom."

FORGING AN UNEXPECTED CONNECTION

Before parting ways, the two women exchanged numbers. Phipps went to her North Carolina home, and Snipes set off to meet her boyfriend. But three days later and three weeks early, Snipes went into labor and gave birth to a baby boy on October 6, 2016.

She told LoveWhatMatters: “I called Temple and asked if she could come see me. I told her I had the baby and needed someone to talk to. She agreed to come see me and keep me company (sic).”

Snipes saw how Phipps handled the baby, fed him, and felt she'd be a great mother. She also shared with ABC: "She already looked like she loved him after holding him for an hour. The stuff that I wasn't feeling, she was feeling, and I was watching that."

PRAISE & APPRECIATION

Soon afterward, Snipes asked Phipps to adopt her son. After that, Phipps took the boy home and named him "Vaughn." The adoption was finalized in August 2017. The two women have since formed a lasting familial connection that they're proud of.

Snipes revealed that she found a brilliant friend, sister, and mother in Phipps. After giving up her son for adoption, Snipes's relationship with her mother worsened. Fortunately, Phipps supported Snipes and helped her build a life for herself.

Phipps also praised Snipes in a social media post. The caption read: "There are no words to express the abundance of love and gratitude I have for Vaughn’s birth mother. I am so proud of you, Samantha Snipes, and blessed that we are forever family."

A MIRACLE MEETING

Snipes moved to North Carolina to be close to Phipps and Vaughn. The two ladies even celebrated Vaughn's first birthday together. Vaughn continues to thrive with his adoptive mother and has grown up a kind and smart boy.

We're glad a miracle meeting brought Snipes and Phipps together and made them friends and family forever. What an inspiring and sentimental story!

If this story touched your heart, you might like another one about a couple who adopted the baby of a woman they had known for only a day in 2018. You can find the full story here.