Pressure is rising on Spirit Airlines (NASDAQ:SAVE) to reverse its decision not to refund a ticket sold to a Vietnam veteran with terminal cancer.

Since the story appeared in the media earlier this week, Facebook users have rallied behind 76-year-old Jerry Meekins and called for a boycott of Spirit until it grants the refund.

Shortly after purchasing a $176 ticket for a flight to New Jersey to see his daughter, Meekins was diagnosed with esophageal cancer, Fox News reported. Unable to fly, he requested a refund, but the airline refused.

Facebook users promptly created a “Boycott Spirit Airlines” page, which had draw 18,000 “likes” from other Facebook users by Thursday morning. 

Spirit shares jumped almost 5% yesterday after the company released first-quarter results showing a sharp increase in earnings over last year, but fell back more than 2% in Thursday morning trading.

Comments on the Facebook page strongly denounced Spirit’s decision.

The former Marine’s plight has also attracted the attention of veterans groups, which have joined calls for Spirit to refund the ticket price.

Despite the uproar, a Spirit Airlines spokesperson told Fox News that Meekins could have paid for an insurance option that would have permitted refunds and that the company would not reverse its decision.

Rival airlines, including JetBlue (NASDAQ:JBLU), Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) Southwest (NYSE:LUV) posted better earnings for the quarter, while United Continental (NYSE:UAL) saw a loss.