California man gets to see dying mother for last time after United Airlines holds up flight A San Francisco man got to see his dying mother one last time at her bedside after United Airlines crews went above and beyond the call of duty to get him to his destination, more than 1,000 miles away. On Jan. 24, Kerry Drake booked the earliest possible flight to Lubbock, Texas, after his brother informed him that their mother Dolores, 76, who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis, was dying. Drake got on the plane, but began crying after hearing that his flight was delayed - which risked his chances of making a connection flight from Houston to Lubbock that was scheduled to leave 40 minutes after he landed in Texas, News.com.au reports. Rahsaan Johnson, a spokesman for United Airlines, told FoxNews.com that Drake's flight was delayed by weather after the aircraft -- which originated from Boston -- arrived late due to headwinds. One United Airlines flight attendant brought Drake napkins to dry his tears, while another relayed Drake's Lubbock flight number to the captain of the plane. Then, an operations manager in Houston and customer service, Johnson said, reached a decision: the plane would wait on the tarmac until Drake arrived. When Drake landed in Houston, he bolted out of the plane and ran to reach his connecting flight, fearing it left without him. But when he reached the gate agent and saw that the plane was still there, he realized he made it. Johnson told FoxNews.com that United tells employees that "being on time and safe are the highest priorities, but we also empower [them] to make decisions out of the box to help customers who have a special need like Mr. Drake's." The other passengers on Drake's Lubbock flight waited an extra 15-20 minutes for him to arrive, TODAY.com reports, but Drake was able to join his father at his mother's bedside to witness her last hours. It was a matter of minutes, but it made all the difference in the world. That really blew me away," Drake said.