Mother claims United Airlines mishandled son’s ventilator

A mother is sharing a disturbing experience she had with United Airlines while flying with her son who has medical needs. Melissa Sotomayor posted a video on TikTok describing the incident during their flight on March 8 from Tampa, Florida, to Newark, New Jersey. She called the situation "ridiculous" and said it caused unnecessary stress for her and her 2-year-old son, Noah. Noah has several medical conditions. He depends on a ventilator and other equipment for breathing. Sotomayor had all necessary medical paperwork ready before their trip. The flight to Tampa went smoothly, but things changed on the return flight. A flight attendant asked her to remove Noah from his ventilator during takeoff. Sotomayor explained this was not possible, as it was vital for her son’s survival. Despite providing medical clearance documents from Noah's doctors, the crew insisted that the equipment be stored under the seat. Another flight attendant shared the same demand, suggesting that Noah would be fine without the ventilator until they reached cruising altitude. The captain then got involved, asserting that it was dangerous for Noah to fly and accused Sotomayor of being difficult. A fellow passenger defended Sotomayor, noting that she had shown necessary paperwork multiple times. Despite this, the captain delayed takeoff for over an hour before announcing they would proceed with the flight without addressing Sotomayor directly. After the flight, Sotomayor received a response from United Airlines that she felt lacked sincerity. The airline stated that they were following FAA guidelines and would investigate the incident. Sotomayor expressed disappointment with how she was treated and warned others against flying with the airline if they have special needs. She feels that her experience could have been handled much better.