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Horrified mom says United Airlines demanded she remove disabled son’s ventilator before take-off: ‘So humiliated’
NY Post ^ | 03/23/2025 | Fabiana Buontempo

Posted on 03/23/2025 12:06:58 PM PDT by DFG

The things a mother will go through for her child.

A woman named Melissa Sotomayor was shocked at how United Airlines treated her disabled son on a recent flight home from Tampa, Florida to New Jersey.

Sotomayor took to TikTok — in a now viral video with over 1 million views — to share her very sad experience. She began the video explaining her son’s condition: “My son is dependent upon a trach, short for tracheostomy, and ventilator. He has vision and hearing problems.”

The mother went on to explain that in order to fly safely, she made sure to have all of her son’s medical documents ready to show — if necessary.

Sotomayor and her baby flew to Florida without a hitch — but it was on the way back that the trouble began. “A male flight attendant approached me and stated that I needed to take my son off the ventilator and the portable oxygen concentrator because they needed to be secured for takeoff,” she explained.

After explaining to the flight attendant that the equipment is what’s keeping her son alive, he then asked Sotomayor for documentation — which she provided for him.

One would think the story stops there — think again. Sotomayor explained in her video that two more flight attendants — and the captain — approached her with the same sentiment regarding the medical equipment.

From the sounds of it, the flight’s crew did not ease up on Sotomayor, despite her having proof that she is allowed to keep her son’s critical medical equipment on it.

(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: unitedairlines; ventilator
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1 posted on 03/23/2025 12:06:58 PM PDT by DFG
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To: DFG

There was apparently no IQ test for this flight crew.


2 posted on 03/23/2025 12:09:18 PM PDT by null and void (Americans are a people increasingly separated by our connectivity. H/T MortMan)
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To: DFG

This poor child :( and shame on United Airlines for treating this woman and her child like that..she had all the proper documentation so whats the problem


3 posted on 03/23/2025 12:11:47 PM PDT by Sarah Barracuda
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To: DFG

Looks like United is having quite a bit of problems....from their own employees....


4 posted on 03/23/2025 12:13:45 PM PDT by JBW1949 (I'm really PC.....Patriotically Correct)
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To: DFG

Video or it didn’t happen this way.


5 posted on 03/23/2025 12:14:18 PM PDT by ClearCase_guy
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To: Sarah Barracuda

Oh geeze.

What really happened here?

Is the plane allowed to take off with O2 running? With equipment running?

Did this woman have pre boarding ok with the airlines? If not why not?

A remote medical waiver does not override FAA nor the crew

Is the child dependent on O2? Most people with tracheostomies are on room air by the time they can travel What was the travel for? Was it galavanting or medical? If it were medical she’d have had all her travel arrangements in order

Where is the father of the child?

Does this woman have a job with income? Or does she look for support from tik tok

I am sure all the fighting she put up left the child upset. Is she concerned?

I was a USAF flight nurse. Does this lady think this was some kind of air evacuation for a wounded troop?

If it were similar she’d have all the documentation in order

Seems like a bash the airlines emotional appeal to me.

I’m flying soon. I depend on the airline to be reasonable. Why would I not? So few airlines remain that one can trust. What’s with the United bashing


6 posted on 03/23/2025 12:22:12 PM PDT by stanne (Because they were mesmerized by Obama, the man for whom this was named, whose name they left out of )
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To: DFG
While you can't bring personal oxygen cylinders (tanks) onto an airplane, you can bring FAA-approved portable oxygen concentrators (POCs) for supplemental oxygen use during the flight, but you must inform the airline in advance and follow their specific guidelines.

(Source-- Google AI)

There's always a back-story. This woman should have checked with the airline before boarding and followed their procedures.

But again in Latin cultures the operative presumption is "it's easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to ask for permission".

She didn't follow procedure.

7 posted on 03/23/2025 12:22:22 PM PDT by 4Runner (Watch. Wallet. Gun. Right foot! Left foot! Sweet Liberty Valens! Thank God for Guns! --Denny Crane)
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To: Sarah Barracuda

“ the proper documentation so whats the problem”

Such as what?

The pilot and the aurlies
Override anything they and the FAA need for safety of all passengers


8 posted on 03/23/2025 12:23:27 PM PDT by stanne (Because they were mesmerized by Obama, the man for whom this was named, whose name they left out of )
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To: 4Runner

“ presumption is “it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to ask for permission”.”

Where is it apparent that she was asking for forgiveness


9 posted on 03/23/2025 12:25:03 PM PDT by stanne (Because they were mesmerized by Obama, the man for whom this was named, whose name they left out of )
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To: DFG

Interesting, according to the story, this family had already flown once on a pervious leg of the journey with no problems from flight crews. What was the difference between that flight and this one that created the issue. Was it the specific seats they were in, the DEI class of the flight attendants (United is big into DEI) or what? As usual, writers these days leave more questions than they answer.


10 posted on 03/23/2025 12:35:18 PM PDT by falcon99 ( )
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To: DFG
United Airlines

Most abusive flight crews I've ever been unlucky enough to fly with.

11 posted on 03/23/2025 12:42:39 PM PDT by pierrem15 ("Massacrez-les, car le seigneur connait les siens" )
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To: DFG

Male flight attendant = faggot.


12 posted on 03/23/2025 12:43:07 PM PDT by HYPOCRACY (Long live The Great MAGA Kangz!)
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To: DFG

by secured? is it a big bulky object apt to go flyig about the cabin? they should have had the means to secure it to a seatbelt then...


13 posted on 03/23/2025 12:54:31 PM PDT by orionrising
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To: DFG

It would be interesting to know if she did anything different on the first flight. It would also be interesting to know if United policy agrees with the crew of the first flight versus second flight if they did something different.

A flight is a flight. It was a different crew, passengers, and airport. The passenger may have used different equipment the first flight, versus the second flight. How is the second crew going to know it was the same?

I will say, once I board a plane I don’t want to wait while the crew reviews medical documents. That should be done beforehand for each flight.


14 posted on 03/23/2025 1:09:13 PM PDT by alternatives?
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To: stanne
I was a USAF flight nurse. Does this lady think this was some kind of air evacuation for a wounded troop?

Concur; it seems to me that if only the oxygen was keeping her son alive he should be on a med-evac flight, not a normal passenger flight.
15 posted on 03/23/2025 1:16:10 PM PDT by af_vet_1981 ( The bus came by and I got on, That's when it all began.)
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To: Sarah Barracuda
Why would she be concerned about being "humiliated?"

The only concern should have been about the kid breathing.

16 posted on 03/23/2025 1:19:32 PM PDT by Mogger ( 7th generation Vermonter, refugee in New Hampshire hoping NH remains sane.)
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To: DFG

“My son is dependent upon a trach, short for tracheostomy, and ventilator. He has vision and hearing problems.”

Then why are you flying?


17 posted on 03/23/2025 1:19:53 PM PDT by AppyPappy (If Hitler were alive today and criticized Trump, would he still be Hitler?)
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To: Mogger

Because females are emotional ... You’re supposed to understand that or it’s toxic masculinity ...


18 posted on 03/23/2025 1:23:44 PM PDT by bankwalker (Repeal the 19th ...)
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To: DFG
“He’ll be okay until we’re in the air at a high enough altitude,” a cold United staffer told her.

All states have laws against practicing medicine without a license. If convicted, the United staffer and other United employees, including the pilot, who concurred with the illegal medical diagnosis and order could face sentences ranging from one to eight years in prison. Let's hope they have a nice cellmate.

19 posted on 03/23/2025 1:36:05 PM PDT by Carl Vehse (Make Austin Texas Again!)
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To: af_vet_1981

“ Concur; it seems to me that if only the oxygen was keeping her son alive he should be on a med-evac flight, not a normal passenger flight.”

Absolutely. But she, the NYPost want to make it look like the flight attendants were actively smothering the child

Does the mother or the Post have anything to say about the passengers who also have lives, places to get to.-safely?


20 posted on 03/23/2025 1:36:30 PM PDT by stanne (Because they were mesmerized by Obama, the man for whom this was named, whose name they left out of )
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