United Airlines has issued an apology to a mother who claims a flight crew asked her to remove her son from his breathing machine before takeoff.
In a nearly 10-minute TikTok video that has garnered over 1.3 million views, Melissa Sotomayor expressed her frustration with the airline, saying, “The way you treated my son when we were attempting to fly home from Tampa to Newark was absolutely ridiculous.”
Her nearly two-year-old son, Noah, who is “medically complex,” relies on a breathing tube, ventilator, and other medical devices, according to Sotomayor.
“Once we got seated, a male flight attendant approached me and told me I needed to take my son off the ventilator and portable oxygen concentrator because they needed to be secured for takeoff,” Sotomayor explained. “I told him I couldn’t remove my son from those devices because they are keeping him alive.”
Sotomayor noted they had flown United to Tampa without any issues, and she had letters from doctors clearing her son to fly, along with other necessary documentation.
“The captain came to speak with me and said, ‘I don’t feel that your son should be flying. It’s dangerous for him. Look at him,’” Sotomayor recalled. “I said, ‘There’s no problem. My son is medically cleared.’ I have fought for my son’s life his entire life, and I am still doing so.”
The equipment was FAA-approved, and United’s accessibility department had selected their seats, Sotomayor said she informed the crew.
Eventually, the family was permitted to continue their flight, which landed in Newark nearly an hour later than scheduled.
“We’ve connected with the customer to address her concerns and apologized for any frustration she may have experienced,” the airline said in a brief statement.
The airline did not respond to a question regarding whether Sotomayor was offered compensation.
“United Airlines called me a few days ago,” Sotomayor told CNN on Monday. “They watched my video, but the apology wasn’t sincere.”
Sotomayor added that United did not offer any compensation, and she is now seeking to find a lawyer.
