United crew told mom to remove baby's ventilator

UNITED BOEING 787-9 N26952 (MSN 36403)

Passengers on a recent United Airlines flight were shocked when a young mother claimed she was humiliated for trying to keep her son alive. Melissa Sotomayor, whose 21-month-old son relies on a ventilator and tracheostomy tube after being born prematurely at 22 weeks, said flight attendants demanded she disconnect his life-supporting devices before takeoff. "They are keeping him alive," she pleaded, presenting medical documents from his doctors and the airline confirming he was cleared to fly. However, instead of compassion, she said she faced threats of removal from the plane and accusations of violating FAA guidelines.

Melissa shared that the situation escalated when the captain confronted her, labeling her "a difficult customer" and arguing the equipment was unsafe. In that moment, as her son's fragile body depended on every breath from the ventilator, she felt the heavy judgment of those tasked with ensuring passenger safety. Another crew member even told her, shockingly, that her son would "be okay until we're in the air." Her refusal to comply wasn't out of defiance; it was the only thing protecting her son from disaster. A nearby passenger tried to console her, apologizing for the treatment she faced, but the humiliation had already taken its toll.

The flight eventually departed more than an hour late. United later issued an apology, but she says it rang hollow and lacked compassion after being made to feel like a burden while caring for a medically complex child. 

Her heartbreaking story serves as a painful reminder that behind every policy and procedure are real human lives -- and in this case, the innocent breath of a child who should never have been questioned.