A New Jersey mother is calling out United Airlines for what she has described as a ‘horrible’ experience on a recent flight.
Melissa Sotomayor accuses crew members of repeatedly pressuring her to disconnect her 21-month-old son from his life-sustaining ventilator and oxygen concentrator before the plane could takeoff.
Sotomayor’s son, Noah, was born with a rare medical condition and depends on a tracheostomy and ventilator to breathe – but he became the center of a spiraling confrontation on United flight UA1349 from Tampa to Newark earlier this month.
The confrontation that left nearby passengers shocked and Sotomayor in tears.
She explained what happened on the March 8 flight in TikTok in a video that has since gone viral, garnering more than 1.2 million views.
‘My son is dependent upon a trach and ventilator,’ she explains calmly, but visibly shaken. ‘And they told me I needed to take him off it.’
Sotomayor said she had already flown the outbound flight without any issues on March 2, using the same airline, equipment, and documentation. But her return flight was entirely different.
Shortly after boarding a male flight attendant approached Sotomayor telling her she needed to disconnect her son’s ventilator and oxygen concentrator during takeoff.
Melissa Sotomayor accuses crew members of repeatedly pressuring her to disconnect her 21-month-old son from his life-sustaining ventilator and oxygen concentrator during takeoff
Her son, Noah, was born with a rare medical condition and depends on a tracheostomy and ventilator to breathe
‘I told them that equipment is what’s keeping him alive,’ she said.
But instead of backing off, the situation only escalated further.
Two more flight attendants and even the plane’s captain joined in, all repeating the same directive and demanding documentation.
Sotomayor said she had already submitted everything ahead of time through United’s accessibility department.
‘I worked with their team. I provided all required documentation. Everything was cleared,’ she said. ‘And still, they told me to take him off the vent.’
She alleged how one crew member told her, ‘He’ll be okay until we’re in the air at a high enough altitude.’
Passengers seated nearby were so disturbed by what they saw with some even speaking up, describing her treatment as harassment, according to Sotomayor’s video.
Crew members then suggested Sotomayor would need to change seats if she refused to comply.
Her son was born at just 22 weeks and has needed help breathing since birth
Her son became the center of a spiraling confrontation on United flight UA1349 from Tampa to Newark earlier this month (file photo)
The captain allegedly taxied the aircraft for over an hour in what Sotomayor believes was a deliberate attempt to delay or discourage her from continuing the flight.
‘He [the captain] didn’t even come back to tell me if we were going to fly,’ she said. ‘He just got on the speaker and said we were cleared for takeoff.’
Those hearing her story online appeared incensed by what they had heard.
‘The fact that they thought taking your son off OXYGEN and a ventilator for any amount of time, and he would be fine, is INSANE,’ one user wrote.
‘Please, please retain an attorney that specializes in ADA. MAKE ALL THE NOISE. Nobody should have to go through this,’ urged another.
Others went further still calling for a boycott of United Airlines and demanding accountability.
‘So we boycott United Airlines? Seems like the only way to get a point across these days is stop paying these people,’ one user posted.
Sotomayor explained how days earlier on a United flight from Newark to Tampa there were no issues at all
Noah is seen with his younger sibling in a recent photograph of the pair
Sotomayor has now launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for legal action against United Airlines.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) guidelines allow the use of portable ventilators and oxygen concentrators on commercial flights.
United, like most major carriers, has an established accessibility policy requiring medical device documentation, something Sotomayor insists she submitted well in advance.
In her TikTok, Sotomayor made it clear she is not backing down.
‘This wasn’t just a mistake,’ she said. ‘This was a complete disregard for my son’s life, and our dignity.
‘I’m not going to let this go. They need to be held accountable – not just for Noah, but for every family who’s been made to feel like they don’t belong.’
When contacted by DailyMail.com, United Airlines said: ‘We’ve connected with the customer to address her concerns and apologized for any frustration she may have experienced.’