Lost Faith in Humanity? (an unfortunate event occurring on an American Airlines flight)

Yesterday, while my husband and I were on a flight to the Caribbean, about an hour before landing, the pilot put out an announcement to request a licensed medical professional, seeing if there was one on the plane. Curious, all the passengers—including myself—were wondering what was going on.

A few minutes after the request, after two nurses responded and volunteered to help, there was another request for a glucometer (device to check blood sugar levels). Turns out that a few rows in front of me and in the row directly in front of my husband, the wife of an elderly couple (in their 80s) appeared to pass out and it was communicated by her husband she had diabetes (so, it was possible that diabetes or her blood sugar levels were contributing to her current state).

After checking her blood pressure and receiving a result of 89/63 (VERY LOW), the two nurses worked diligently to try to stabilize the woman and get her to come to consciousness. During a part of this stressful process, the woman’s husband (sitting by her side) started to cry. It was heartbreaking. When the plane landed, as expected, emergency health workers stormed onto the scene and anyone that was behind the couple’s aisle (behind row 8) was ordered to exit the plane from the stairs located at the back of the plane. Naturally, I waited for my husband to get his bags from the overhead bin (the bin from where an intravenous bag was hanging, to assist the woman) so we could exit to the back of the plane.

With that said, given the nature of the emergency situation, we understood that we would have to wait a little longer to get our baggage and deplane from the back (the emergency situation caused there to be a longer wait for passengers to get to the back steps and paramedics were blocking the front part of the plane, to assist the lady), so it was no big deal to us. What did seem to be a big deal was the response made by some of the other passengers.

Pretty much everyone on the flight knew or had an idea of the extremity of the lady’s health situation and her non responsiveness. However, a few passengers were making a big deal. “I have a connecting flight. I NEED to get through to the front!!” (all due respect lady; I know its stressful you could possibly miss your connecting flight, I get it; but you would trample over an unconscious woman and barrel past a crew of paramedics trying to save someone’s life, so that you couldn’t be minorly inconvenienced??).

I, not trying to get into an argument with some of the huffy passengers, but trying to make a point said “she (the elderly lady) may not make it.” Even the steward responded to her and a few huffy passengers, saying calmly but with gravitas: “I just ask that you consider if your connecting flight is worth the loss of a human life.” This shut up a few people for a minute. However, right after this, there was another woman who—not being able to access her luggage immediately as (like my husband’s) it was in the bin where the IV was hanging—was huffing and puffing and making it clear in her body language and noises that she was annoyed that she had to wait. Seeing that I had to wait too, the lady looked at me with a look like “aren’t you annoyed you have to wait too?”. I responded saying “I just feel so bad what’s happening to the lady and her husband.” This made her calm down and be quiet for a minute as I think she realized ‘yea, I’m probably not being an awesome human being right now.’

So, finally everyone was able to get their luggage and de-board the plane. But I have to say, even if some people had to wait longer to get their luggage or even possibly missed their connecting flights, at the end of the day, these ‘troubles’ were a drop in the hat, compared to what the elderly woman and her husband were faced with.

Can you imagine going on a nice trip with your wife that you possibly were married to since youth, with plans to have a wonderful time—possibly even celebrate their anniversary—and then your wife goes unconscious on the plane and it may be the last time you are with her? And the fact that more passengers than I would’ve expected basically didn’t give two shits (excuse my language; I only cuss when I’m REALLY bothered) regarding what this lady and her husband were going through and would rather trample over an unconscious human being and a medical crew because of being ‘inconvenienced’ really deeply bothered me. I know not all human beings are like this, but is this what we have come to as a human race? Where expediency/convenience and self trumps empathy and compassion? I was disappointed in humanity yesterday. Thankfully, my compassionate husband did wish the husband ‘good luck’ before we departed the plane.

The couple and elderly lady have consistently been on my mind the last day. I really hope everything worked out for them, that she was revived and that she is on the beach having a pina colada with her dream hubby, soaking in the sun. I know I can’t do much to help their situation, but I have been praying severely for them this last day (I wish I knew their names so I could pray with an even more concentrated intention, but God sees, so I hope He can direct my prayers in the right place and that my efforts can possibly make a difference).

I ask anyone with a prayerful heart and good intentions to send positive thoughts and prayers out to the universe for this couple! Otherwise, I hope this situation is a reminder to all that no matter how desperate and frustrating our circumstances seem, it is possible that there are others out there facing it even worse. And that compassion and empathy is crucial nowadays, in a world where selfishness seems to be the norm. I just ask of myself and to all of you: BE A GOOD HUMAN BEING. It matters more than you know .

Sincerely,

A compassionate human being