A mother is speaking out against United Airlines after describing a horrible experience before take off. She claims that the crew on the flight tried to force her to remove her son's lifesaving ventilator and oxygen concentrator.
According to Melissa Sotomayor, the United crew claimed they couldn't take off until he removed the ventilator. The woman's son, Noah, has a medical condition that requires a tracheostomy. He breathes with a ventilator and cannot remove the device. However, Sotomayor claims that the crew on United flight UA1349 from Tampa to Newark wanted her to remove the device.
She took to TikTok to voice her concerns and describe the situation. "My son is dependent upon a trach and ventilator," she said. "And they told me I needed to take him off it."
United Airlines Flight
She said that she never had this problem before and had even flown United before without issue. Sotomayor claims a male United flight attendant told her to disconnect her son's ventilator and oxygen concentrator.
"I told them that equipment is what's keeping him alive," she said. However, the crew didn't listen. Two more flight attendants and also the captain tried to get her to remove the device.
"I worked with their team. I provided all required documentation. Everything was cleared," she said. "And still, they told me to take him off the vent." She claims that one crew member told her, "He'll be okay until we're in the air at a high enough altitude."
Other passengers on the United flight tried to defend the family, according to Sotomayor. Eventually, the captain taxied the plane for over an hour before taking off. "He [the captain] didn't even come back to tell me if we were going to fly," she said. "He just got on the speaker and said we were cleared for takeoff."
Sotomayor is seeking to make things right. "This wasn't just a mistake," she said. "This was a complete disregard for my son's life, and our dignity. I'm not going to let this go. They need to be held accountable - not just for Noah, but for every family who's been made to feel like they don't belong."
However, United Airlines said to Daily Mail, "We've connected with the customer to address her concerns and apologized for any frustration she may have experienced."
