Flying is stressful enough—but imagine doing it with a medically fragile child, only to be told you need to remove his ventilator before takeoff.
That’s exactly what happened to Melissa Sotomayor, whose son relies on a ventilator and portable oxygen concentrator to stay alive. During the second leg of their United Airlines flight from Tampa to Newark, a flight attendant told her the equipment had to be shut off and stowed. Her viral video detailing the ordeal has racked up over a million views—and sparked outrage.
“They told me to disconnect the equipment,” Sotomayor says in the video. “I explained that if I do, my son will die. They didn’t want to hear it. They treated me like I was putting my child in danger when I was doing everything right.”
Sotomayor had all the required paperwork and had successfully completed the first part of the flight without issue. But on the second leg, the crew demanded she shut off her son’s life-saving devices—leading to humiliation and fear in front of other passengers.
Fred Roggin covered the story on The Roggin Report, calling it a nightmare for any parent. “United said, ‘We apologize.’ But is that really enough?”
Doug Baker pointed out that United clearly mishandled the situation. “They had all the paperwork. They flew the first leg with no problem. And suddenly now it’s an issue?”
Jamie Baker didn’t hold back: “This male flight attendant needs a new career. And the captain? That was horrifying. They owe this family more than an apology—they need lifetime first class tickets.”
Fred wrapped the segment with a strong message: “An apology after publicly humiliating a mother and endangering a child’s life isn’t enough. This is a human issue, not just a policy problem. United Airlines needs to do better—because this family deserved better.”
Explore: NBCPalmSprings.com, where we are connecting the Valley.
By: Fred Roggin
March 28, 2025
