A young mother from Virginia and her son with special needs had to miss their flight Monday due to flight delay, but the staff of United Airlines refused to allow her to get her son’s medical supplies.
A report from The Virginian-Pilot revealed that 24-year-old Shelby Davis claimed that she was trying to go back home to Norfork on Monday night after spending the weekend in Chicago to visit her boyfriend. But United Airlines announced that her flight had to be delayed, that is why she requested to get her son Easton’s feeding tube extension and extra formula milk because she only brought enough supplies that they will need for the flight.
However, the staff of the airline refused to give her access to her checked-in luggage. Instead, they told her that they had to forfeit her tickets so she can get the medical equipment and extra food for her son who is suffering from chromosomal disorders and breathing problems.
According to Davis, Easton was already getting “pretty fussy because he was getting hungry. He was chewing on his fingers and crying and sweating. And I was by myself.” She also argued that she is no longer concerned if she or any of the staff of the airline will get the items from the bag, as long as there will be someone to get it for her for the sake of her child.
She also reportedly recalled that a supervisor finally allowed her to get the medical items from the luggage, but revealed that she will no longer be allowed to take the flight. Since she ran out of options, she opted to buy a new ticket for her flight back home and spent another night in Chicago.
United Airlines issued a statement to confirm the incident, and revealed that they are issuing a refund for her flight. “We rebooked our customer and her son on the next flight to Norfolk (Tuesday) and provided a refund,” an airline representative stated.
While Davis claimed that her flight back home is not as stressful than her original one, she revealed that she is considering to drive to Chicago next time to avoid experiencing the same problem in the future.