United Airlines Flight Attendant Removes Ventilator from 2-Year-Old Child

Post by: Bandan Preet

Photo: Instagram/@united

United Airlines is facing public criticism after a mother shared a shocking experience about her flight. Melissa Sotomayor, the mother of a two-year-old child with serious medical needs, claimed that United Airlines flight attendants tried to make her remove her son's ventilator during a flight.

The incident happened on March 8, 2025, on a flight from Tampa, Florida, to Newark, New Jersey. Melissa posted a video on TikTok explaining what happened, and it quickly went viral, getting over one million views.

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A Mother’s Struggle on a United Airlines Flight

Melissa’s son was born very early, at just 22 weeks, and he depends on a ventilator and a tracheostomy tube to breathe. Before the flight, Melissa made sure to get all the necessary documents from doctors, proving that her son needed the medical equipment. United Airlines had approved the equipment before the trip, and there were no problems on their flight to Florida. However, the return flight was different.

During the flight, a flight attendant told Melissa that she needed to put the ventilator under the seat before takeoff. Melissa explained that the ventilator was essential for her son’s breathing and could not be removed. She showed letters from two doctors confirming the importance of the equipment, but the crew kept insisting. One flight attendant even suggested that her son would be "okay" without the ventilator until the plane reached a certain height. Melissa refused to risk her son's health.

As the situation escalated, more flight attendants got involved. Eventually, even the captain stepped in and told Melissa that the equipment was a risk to other passengers. He also said that the flight might be unsafe for her son, even though the medical documents clearly stated otherwise. Despite her efforts to explain, the crew did not listen to her concerns.

Flight Delayed, Mother Humiliated

Because of this argument, the flight was delayed for over an hour. Melissa felt humiliated and disrespected, especially by the captain’s attitude. She later said that she would never fly with United Airlines again because of how badly she and her son were treated.

After the incident, United Airlines released a statement apologizing for the situation. They said they had spoken to Melissa and regretted any frustration she experienced. However, Melissa did not find their apology sincere. The airline also claimed the issue was due to a "bulkhead seating problem," but Melissa rejected this explanation, saying it did not match what happened.

Viral Video and Public Outrage

Melissa’s TikTok video sparked outrage on social media. Many people supported her and criticized United Airlines for how they handled the situation. The incident has raised serious concerns about how airlines treat passengers with medical needs.

For now, Melissa and many others are demanding better policies and training for airline staff so that situations like this do not happen again.

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