In a viral TikTok post shared March 17, mother Melissa Sotomayor claimed a United Airlines flight crew harassed her and her son with special needs in an attempt to get the child temporarily off of his vital medical equipment.
Sotomayor said she and her son flew from Tampa to Newark on March 8. She described Noah as “medically complex,” with vision and hearing disabilities. The mother also explained that Noah is reliant on a tracheostomy tube and ventilator.
Once seated on the plane, Sotomayor claims a United Airlines flight attendant told her that she needed to take Noah off his ventilator and “portable oxygen concentrator” so the plane could take off. The mother claimed she told the attendant the machines were vital to her son’s life. She also recalled handing over her child’s related airline and medical documentation. The paperwork allegedly stated that United cleared Noah to fly with his necessary medical equipment.
Another flight attendant allegedly followed up, asking that the ventilator and portable oxygen concentrator be stored underneath the seats in front of the mother and child. Amid the exchange, the second attendant allegedly said Sotomayor and her son may have to move for not complying. However, Sotomayor stood her ground, noting that the medical equipment was for her child’s safety and again providing documentation.
A third flight attendant, which Sotomayor described as “the rudest,” allegedly told the mother that Noah would be “okay” off of his medical equipment until the plane reached an altitude where he could be placed back on the machines. The pilot then allegedly told Sotomayor to remove Noah from the machines so he could stow them.
Sotomayor claimed the flight crew painted her as unwilling and refusing to comply. Moreover, she said she was told that Noah’s medical equipment could be a danger to himself or other passengers. She said she and the flight crew went back and forth about who was in breach of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines.
Despite Noah’s clearance, the pilot allegedly told Sotomayor she didn’t understand the situation’s severity.
“I have fought for my son’s life [for] his entire life. And I am still doing so,” the mother recalled telling the pilot. “My son has the right to fly and he is cleared to do so.”
What Else Happened?
The pilot allegedly reported the issue to a supervisor and announced an hour later that the plane would take off.
“I was really upset by the way we were humiliated in front of others, and the way we were talked to. The captain talked to me as if I was purposefully endangering my son. And they [the flight crew] were unwilling to listen to the fact that my son was dependent on this equipment to keep him alive. They did not want to hear it. The ignorance was very much astounding,” Sotomayor said in her nearly 10-minute-long video.
The mother noted that before she and Noah even went to Tampa, she made sure “all documentation was in order” so the little one could fly safely. She claimed the accessibility department at United Airlines picked their seats after weeks of coordination.
Sotomayor said the treatment her son received was “absolutely ridiculous.” She claimed that she and her son received no apology about the ordeal from the flight crew amid the incident. Moreover, She said someone at United’s corporate level gave her a “less than caring” response.
“The way we were treated was horrible,” Sotomayor stated at the end of her post. “If you are a parent or have a special needs loved one, do not fly United Airlines…”
Has United Airlines Addressed The Incident?
“We’ve connected with the customer to address her concerns and apologized for any frustration she may have experienced,” the airline told PEOPLE.
