Strangers raised $180,000 for the limping airport veteran

A TikTok video has raised more than $180,000 for James Blair, a 64-year-old Navy veteran who has worked at John Wayne Airport since 2006 despite two deteriorated knees that make walking difficult. A passenger named Thackery filmed him limping across the tarmac toward her flight out of Los Angeles and posted the clip asking if anyone knew who he was. A commenter eventually identified Blair, who has neither a smartphone nor social media. His boss volunteered to drive about 90 minutes to Blair's house to help set up a GoFundMe. More than 6,000 people donated. Blair, who keeps working because his income helps cover his mother's hospice care, said the response restored his faith. "I believed in God, but I didn't really believe in God. But now, with the angel sitting next to you, it's amazing," he told Thackery. He hasn't retired yet. He did buy a new bed.