Donations raise thousands for Orange County airport employee, military veteran working to put mother through hospice

Thousands of dollars have been raised for a John Wayne Airport employee who became the subject of a viral video on social media, which showed him clearly working through pain. 

Since the GoFundMe was started, more than $65,000 has been raised for James Blair, a U.S. Navy veteran who has spent the last two decades working at the airport. 

"When I first saw the video and I saw the money coming up, I started laughing, because I've been doing this job for 20 years and I just didn't think anybody actually cared," Blair said. 

He says that despite chronic pain, he continues to work through it so he can continue caring for his 90-year-old mother in hospice care. 

"My mom fell ... I'm going to cry. My mom fell in September, and she was taken to the hospital," Blair said. 

The video in question, which shows him limping across the tarmac at the airport, was captured by Lacinda Thackeray. 

"He was really struggling, what my first thought," Thackeray said. "As I sat with it for a moment, and the tears were coming down my face, I just wanted to know if anybody knew who he was."

She posted the video online. Since then, it's gotten more than 3.5 million views and helped spur the massive fundraising effort. 

"There was just so many beautiful comments that, like, it was also so heartwarming to see that people really needed to see this," Thackeray said. "That there's still good people out there."

Blair, who works as an aircraft mechanic, says that so many years of refueling planes have taken a toll on his body, specifically his knees. He wanted to make sure to say that he doesn't consider himself a hero, and that he represents people around the world who are still working and living with chronic pain. He's hopeful that his story can serve as an inspiration for others to keep working hard. 

Thackeray hopes that the moment can be a learning lesson for others as well, inspiring them to take notice of the people around them, and helping if you have the means. 

"So many people were just saying, 'I just have lost hope.' Don't lose hope. Continue to go forward and see what you can do to be those helping hands," she said. 

The GoFundMe can be found by searching for the keywords: "Help Him Retire with Dignity."