Little Girl Loses Her Tooth On An Airplane, Then Gets An Unexpected Note From The Pilot

For most, losing your first tooth is a huge milestone. When one little girl lost her tooth on an airplane, she couldn't have been more thrilled. That was until she realized the tooth was gone.

Lauren And Lena Go To South Carolina

A United Airlines aircraft passes by
Alex Wong/Getty Images
Alex Wong/Getty Images

Lauren Larmon and her six-year-old daughter Lena had planned a trip from New York to South Carolina.

They hopped aboard a United Airlines flight and found their seats in coach.

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Nap Time

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Passengers sleep on a low cost flight
Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images
Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images
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Similar to many six-year-olds, Lena needed to take a nap to get her through the approximately two-hour flight.

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She was able to get in a long nap, but when she woke up, she realized something was wrong.

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She Lost Her First Tooth!

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lena wearing a purple outfit
Lauren Elisabeth Larmon/Instagram
Lauren Elisabeth Larmon/Instagram
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Lena woke up from her nap feeling refreshed but quickly realized something was amiss.

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The six-year-old soon noticed that her tooth had fallen out. This would be her very first lost tooth.

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Where Was The Tooth?

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interior of an airplane with empty seats
Erik S. Lesser/Getty Images
Erik S. Lesser/Getty Images
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Although she was excited to lose her first tooth, Lena started to freak out when she couldn't find where it went!

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This would become a big deal for both Lauren and Lena because they needed to find a small tooth on a large airplane.

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Lena Recalls The Story

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lena and lauren standing by a castle
Lauren Elisabeth Larmon/Instagram
Lauren Elisabeth Larmon/Instagram
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When Lena and Lauren appeared on Good Morning America, Lena wanted to share what happened on the plane.

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"I was sleeping on the airplane. My mom woke me up...and we were going to pick our suitcases up," said Lena.

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Lena Asks About The Tooth Fairy

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woman dressed as the tooth fairy
Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
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Lena continued, "And I said, 'Mommy, mommy, I think my tooth fell out.'"

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Lena's mother then heard her say something quite precious. She asked, "Do tooth fairies even fly coach?"

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Lena Didn't Think Her Tooth Would Fall Out

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little girl wiggling her loose tooth
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Brianna Soukup/Getty Images
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Lena knew her tooth was wiggly but thought she had more time before it would fall out.

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She and her mother had been traveling for a few days already, and there were no signs that it was ready to come out.

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Trying To Retrieve The Tooth

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Lena showing where she lost her tooth
Lauren Elisabeth Larmon/Instagram
Lauren Elisabeth Larmon/Instagram
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Lauren examined her daughter and saw that the missing tooth was one of her bottom teeth.

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The two turned around and tried to get back on the airplane. Unfortunately, security had already closed the doors.

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Lena Has An Outburst

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lena crying on the sidewalk
Lauren Elisabeth Larmon/Instagram
Lauren Elisabeth Larmon/Instagram
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After Lena found out she wouldn't be able to look for her missing tooth, she broke down.

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Her mother told Good Morning America that Lena was "very emotional" and "crying."

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Hope Was Almost Lost

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lena posing for a photo
Lauren Elisabeth Larmon/Instagram
Lauren Elisabeth Larmon/Instagram
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Lena was completely devastated that her very first missing tooth would be gone forever.

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"I was like, 'We're never gonna find my tooth again!,'" Lena shared with Good Morning America.

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A Pilot Pays It Forward

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the flight deck for a pilot
Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images
Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images
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Lena really wanted a visit from the tooth fairy but didn't think she'd get one without her tooth.

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After their pilot heard what was going on, he wanted to step in and help.

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Captain Josh To The Rescue

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captain josh writing the letter
Lauren Elisabeth Larmon/Instagram
Lauren Elisabeth Larmon/Instagram
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Captain Josh Duchow from United Airlines wanted to save the day.

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He had the idea to write the tooth fairy a letter explaining what happened to Lena's tooth. Lena wasn't sure it would work.

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The Note

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a handwritten note from captain josh
Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport/Facebook
Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport/Facebook
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Captain Josh wrote a letter explaining why there wouldn't be a tooth under Lena's pillow for the tooth fairy.

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"Dear Tooth Fairy, Lena had a tooth fall out on our flight to Greenville, please take this note in place of her tooth." He signed it "Captain Josh."

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Lena Was Skeptical

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lena smiling for a photo
Lauren Elisabeth Larmon/Instagram
Lauren Elisabeth Larmon/Instagram
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While Lena wasn't sure that Captain Josh's note would work, she tried it anyway. And it's a good thing she did.

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Much to Lena's delight, the tooth fairy accepted the note.

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The Tooth Fairy Responds

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white figurine of the tooth fairy
Karl Gehring/The Denver Post via Getty Images
Karl Gehring/The Denver Post via Getty Images
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Lena was ecstatic when the tooth fairy accepted the note, and she even got a reply directly from the tooth fairy herself.

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"Lena, it is OK that you have lost your tooth on the airplane. I will get it. Keep brushing," she wrote.

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Lauren Shares The Story Online

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lauren and lena outside a church
Lauren Elisabeth Larmon/Instagram
Lauren Elisabeth Larmon/Instagram
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Lena's mother thought this situation was so heartwarming and wanted to share it with others on social media.

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She took to her Facebook and Instagram pages and made the story public.

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Her Post

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lauren with lena in the kitchen
Lauren Elisabeth Larmon/Instagram
Lauren Elisabeth Larmon/Instagram
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Lauren shared her daughter's story on Facebook.

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The caption on her post said, "In a world full of bad airline stories, @united came through when Lena fell asleep on her flight home and woke up without a tooth."

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The Post Contined

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lena wearing a leopard print vest
Lauren Elisabeth Larmon/Instagram
Lauren Elisabeth Larmon/Instagram
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The post went on to say, "Very concerned that The Tooth Fairy would not show up because the tooth is somewhere on the airplane."

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"The pilot saw Lena trying to go back through security to get her tooth and helped her out."

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Finishing The Post With A Big Thank You

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lena holding a fox
Lauren Elisabeth Larmon/Instagram
Lauren Elisabeth Larmon/Instagram
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Lauren ends the caption by writing, "Thank you, Captain Josh! I'm sure the Tooth Fairy will accept this note in lieu of a tiny tooth."

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If it weren't for Captain Josh, Lauren wasn't sure what she would've done.

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A Happy Ending

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lena smiling and wearing glasses
Lauren Elisabeth Larmon/Instagram
Lauren Elisabeth Larmon/Instagram
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Captain Josh isn't just a pilot, but an everyday hero. Lena was able to get her visit from the tooth fairy thanks to his quick thinking.

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Hopefully, Lena will take the tooth fairy's advice to "keep brushing."