Help Dillon Replace Damaged Tubas from Flight
Donation protected
My son, Dillon Jefferies, a resident of Spring, TX, was trying to escape a Coronavirus ridden Manhattan, New York after his University shut down. He attends the Mannes School of Music on full scholarship pursuing a Master’s Degree in Music Performance as a Tuba player. He attended Baylor University on full scholarship for his undergraduate degree. He needed to come home with both his Tubas in order to take his classes online for the rest of the school year. His goal is to perform in a Symphony Orchestra someday.
As he has done many times before on Southwest Airlines, and per their policy, you are allowed to purchase seats for your instruments and secure them with a seat belt in the seat next to you. It was expensive, but we purchased seats for both his Tubas. When he asked the stewardess for seat belt extenders to strap them in, she refused to give them to him. Shortly after, the co-pilot came over and said he would have to check the Tubas underneath the plane with the luggage.
Dillon responded that he didn’t have any hard cases to protect the Tubas, that’s why he purchased seats for them, and if he checked them, they would be destroyed. He still made Dillon check the Tubas underneath the plane, even though he purchased seats for them. And the plane only had a few passengers on it. The pilot brought the Tubas to him after the flight and they were heavily damaged beyond repair.
After taking pictures and going through a long claims process, and over a month later, Southwest came back and said they were only going to reimburse him $3,500 to for the Tubas, per their policy. It is going to cost us $28,400 to replace them.
This is where we need your help. As a mother, I feel helpless. As a single Mom, I do not have $28,400 to replace them. And not only does Dillon need these instruments to finish his Master’s Degree, but also this is his profession. He uses them to earn money by playing for Churches, Orchestra’s and lessons. And it will be his sole profession in the very near future; his only means of living.
It would mean the world to me, and Dillon, if you could help. For now he is finishing the semester online with heavily damaged and ill-sounding Tubas. If you can help change that, you would change his life. Thank you for your support!
As he has done many times before on Southwest Airlines, and per their policy, you are allowed to purchase seats for your instruments and secure them with a seat belt in the seat next to you. It was expensive, but we purchased seats for both his Tubas. When he asked the stewardess for seat belt extenders to strap them in, she refused to give them to him. Shortly after, the co-pilot came over and said he would have to check the Tubas underneath the plane with the luggage.
Dillon responded that he didn’t have any hard cases to protect the Tubas, that’s why he purchased seats for them, and if he checked them, they would be destroyed. He still made Dillon check the Tubas underneath the plane, even though he purchased seats for them. And the plane only had a few passengers on it. The pilot brought the Tubas to him after the flight and they were heavily damaged beyond repair.
After taking pictures and going through a long claims process, and over a month later, Southwest came back and said they were only going to reimburse him $3,500 to for the Tubas, per their policy. It is going to cost us $28,400 to replace them.
This is where we need your help. As a mother, I feel helpless. As a single Mom, I do not have $28,400 to replace them. And not only does Dillon need these instruments to finish his Master’s Degree, but also this is his profession. He uses them to earn money by playing for Churches, Orchestra’s and lessons. And it will be his sole profession in the very near future; his only means of living.
It would mean the world to me, and Dillon, if you could help. For now he is finishing the semester online with heavily damaged and ill-sounding Tubas. If you can help change that, you would change his life. Thank you for your support!
Organizer
Terri Jefferies
Organizer
Spring, TX