The Port of Seattle has taken a lot of heat lately for its contract bidding process and cost overruns.

But sometimes, the Port -- which operates Sea-Tac Airport -- does the right thing, with maybe a little prodding.

"To a large extent, I really appreciate this broadcasting," said Echo.

Echo gives her thanks to KIRO 7 for helping resolve a heartbreaking problem.

Her Chinese name is too complicated for Western ears, so she calls herself "Echo", after a Greek goddess.

We spoke to her after she came to Seattle last fall for a year of school. It was her first trip out of her country and her first trip away from her beloved parents.

"I'm looking forward to studying in America, but I have to leave my parents," said Echo.

As it turned out, she also had to leave her luggage. Or to be precise, it was likely stolen in the short time between when it cleared customs at Sea-Tac Airport and was sent on to the public baggage carousel.

Like the other carousels at Sea-Tac, that one was not patrolled and is conveniently near an exit.

Echo's host family says it's also convenient for a thief.

Echo's bag was filled with expensive silk clothing, handmade by her mother in honor of Echo's first trip abroad. Even today, months later, she's devastated by its loss.

"Nothing can bring my suitcase back and there are so many emotional values in that suitcase," said Echo.

Since the bag made it to customs, the airline, Asiana, denied responsibility for the loss, but agreed to pay $600 in compensation, which is the maximum amount under international agreements.

But the bag and its contents were worth more than $5,000.

That's when Echo and her host family contacted KIRO 7 Consumer investigators, and last November we told her story, one of literally millions of travelers whose bags are lost or stolen in the U.S. every year.

The story gained the attention of officials at the Port of Seattle.

What they did was compensate Echo for the full value of her belongings, more than $5,200.

Her host family is grateful to the Port of Seattle, and to KIRO 7 for telling her story.

And now Echo's faith in American justice has been restored.

"This suitcase event just brought so many nice people to me," said Echo.

Now Echo says she has just one wish: That one day soon the airlines will pay for security at those baggage carousels so that no one else will have to go through the heartache she did.