Posted on 12/08/2006 7:28:47 PM PST by dennisw
Despite being trapped in a cramped airplane thousands of feet in the air, a pregnant Mexican woman en route to Chicago found herself in the right place at the right time -- giving birth to a healthy baby girl with the help of a fellow passenger. The 42-year-old woman gave birth to a 7-pound, 8-ounce girl approximately a half hour before the plane touched down at O'Hare just before midnight Wednesday, said Eve Rodriguez, Chicago Fire Department assistant director of media affairs.
Baby 'alert, looking around' The woman, a Mexican citizen, was on a Mexicana Airlines flight from Guadalajara when she went into labor. "I was kind of surprised how calm everyone was," said Lori Perez who, along with fellow paramedic Enoch Benson of O'Hare's Rescue Station 3, boarded the plane to take mother and baby to Resurrection Medical Center.
"Mom was in good spirits, she said there was a doctor on board and that she wasn't in a lot of pain."
Perez said that although she didn't catch the obstetrician's name, his handiwork was good.
"The baby girl was not really crying; she was alert and looking around," Perez said.
Airspace matters Mexicana Airlines officials did not return calls to explain whether the woman had presented a doctor's authorization to fly six months or more into a pregnancy, as its own rules require. Whether the baby girl is the United States' newest citizen remains to be seen, according to Maria Elena Garcia-Upson, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services spokeswoman.
An immigration law provision makes a child born in airspace over U.S. territory eligible for citizenship.
But if the parents decide to file an application, officials will investigate whether the child was born in Mexican air-space or over international waters.
"The parents can go ahead and pursue citizenship for the child if they so wish," said Garcia-Upson.
"But we don't decide on cases like this in a public forum. Facts need to be determined first."
I saw where the plane was coming from and that was my first thought. LOL
How CONNNNNNVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENIENTTTTT!!!!!!!
She wasn't "in" the United States until she cleared customs, or at least until the plane touched ground. Much like Cubans who have no claim to asylum until their feet actually touch US soil. Just being enroute either in the US territorial waters or US airspace doesn't count. And she was not "residing" in any state.
She has no claim to American citizenship.
Sounds like that was the plan.
A truly unbiased government employee. Sure I believe that.
Again!? FR had a similar story earlier today.
If the baby was born on the Mexican aircraft before it landed, the baby was born in Mexico. No anchor baby their unless some doofus in the hospital incorrectly records the birth.
So did they actually announce over the loudspeaker, "Excuse me, is there a doctor on the plane?"
Much better than asking, "Excuse me, is there a pilot on the plane?" [Cue screams from Airplane.]
As I said on the previous thread, if it was British Airways flight and the woman was a British citizen, no one on this forum would give a damn.
I agree. Not that it's right but it is understandable.
And on Mexicana Airlines, the answer would be, "Si, but he's partying in the back with the crew."
One day at a busy airport, the passengers on a commercial airliner are seated, waiting for the cockpit crew to show up so they can get under way. The pilot and co-pilot finally appear in the rear of the plane, and begin walking up to the cockpit through the center aisle. Both appear to be blind.
The pilot is using a white cane, bumping into passengers right and left as he stumbles down the aisle, and the co-pilot is using a guide dog. Both have their eyes covered with huge sunglasses. At first the passengers don't react, thinking that it must be some sort of practical joke. However, after a few minutes the engines start revving and the airplane starts moving.
The passengers look at each other with some uneasiness, whispering among themselves and looking desperately to the stewardesses for reassurance. Then the airplane starts accelerating rapidly down the runway and people begin panicking. Some passengers are praying, and as the plane gets closer and closer to the end of the runway, the voices are becoming more and more hysterical. Finally, when the airplane has less than 20 feet of runway left, there is a sudden change in the pitch of the shouts as everyone screams at once, and at the very last moment the airplane lifts off and is airborne.
Up in the cockpit, the co-pilot breathes a sigh of relief and turns to the pilot: "You know, one of these days the passengers aren't going to scream, and we're gonna get killed!"
And your point is what?
Of course the British citizen wouldn't care either.
I understand most of the arguments that will be posted here, howerer, If the child was born over US teritory, she is American.
But wasn't she in American Air-space? I wonder how they are going to deal with that?
Nope
Nyet
Non
Nein
No way...
Uh-uh
Nah
.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.