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 am not suggesting illegals be allowed to come here.
But not every Mexican who comes here is desirous of living here. Of course we have the right to decide who immigrates here,,who said we did not.
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