✈️🥲 May the skies be ever filled with Grace (you may want to grab your tissues for this one...)

Airplane mechanic Shaun Brown is a pro at inspecting things with a close eye. 

This is maybe why, while working on a Frontier Airlines plane earlier this year, the mechanic discovered a photo of a young girl hidden behind a mirror in the bathroom. "I removed it, and I found what looked like a postcard," he said. "It was actually a picture with some writings on the back."

❤️‍🩹 Background: It turns out the photo was actually of Grace Kelly, a four-year-old who had always dreamed of flying in an airplane. The note scribbled on the back read: 

• "Our dear grandchild, Grace, 4 ¼ years old. Taken from us in 3 weeks with a very rare liver cancer. (November 2014) Our little angel had always wanted to fly – so she flies with [Frontier] – hidden away for as long as possible. Happy travels darling Grace, you made our lives just perfect for all too short a time. God bless. XXX Grandma + Grandad."

Blown away and touched by his find, Shaun went on a worldwide search to find the owners of the photo.

🔎 The search... For weeks, Shaun reached out to mechanics, flight attendants, and other employees of the airline to aid him in the search. They took photos of Grace's plane memento to post online, before putting it safely back behind the mirror where her grandparents had left it. 

• Eventually, the team stumbled upon the Grace Kelly Childhood Cancer Trust – an organization founded in her memory – and got connected with the Grace's parents. Her mom, Jen, was blown away at the effort that went into tracking them down. 
• "It feels so special to know that Grace’s photo has been flying for so many years and continues to do so thanks so Frontier airlines," she shared. "We are so grateful to know that they have tracked us down to let us know. Thank you so much to everyone that helped make this possible."

✈️ Honoring Grace: While Grace may not be here any longer, her family has found solace knowing she eventually took to the skies. The airline painted a small red cardinal on the tail of the plane with her photo in Grace's memory.

"She's still flying," Shaun said. "And hopefully she continues to fly."