“He called me, and he told me he was getting on the plane. And he asked me to marry him on the phone before he got on the plane,” Snow told CNN the next day.
Twelve minutes after takeoff from JFK Airport, the plane exploded in midair off the coast of Long Island. Two hundred thirty passengers were on board. No one survived.
“After we said our final ‘I love yous’…about two hours later, my mom called,” Snow recalled. “She said, ‘Please tell me that Michel didn’t go to Paris tonight.'”
Snow immediately turned on the TV. “I just remember fire and really dark water. And at that point, my life stood still,” she said. “He was strong, he was young, and he definitely swam to shore. And I held on to that hope. And then the next morning it became a recovery mission.”
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In addition to providing one-on-one support, the organization shares information with airlines and organizations to help them offer more effective emotional support after these types of losses.
Snow also wrote the book “Surviving Sudden Loss: Stories from those who have lived it” as another tool families could use to deal with their grief.
“This is a lifelong journey…I feel so blessed that I’ve been given the opportunity to be with these incredible people who come forward and volunteer their time,” Snow said.
“They really look at life differently because they start to realize how precious it is and how life can change in an instant.”
