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A mother who fled gang violence in Haiti gave birth high in the sky on a plane – with the baby boy picking up a surprise from the airline following the mid-air drama.
Wilene Tulus, 42, was travelling on 15 March with her husband from Mexico City to Ciudad Juárez, a city on Mexico’s border with the US, when she went into labour shortly after take-off.
The couple were heading to an appointment with US immigration officials to discuss their application for asylum, reports the Daily Mail.
Less than 30 minutes into the flight, Ms Tulus – who was pregnant with her second child – alerted cabin crew that she was having contractions, and a doctor on the flight assisted with the safe delivery of a son.
A fellow passenger shared a video of a flight attendant carrying the newborn down the aisle of the plane before appearing to pass the child to its parents.
After being treated by paramedics on landing at Abraham González Airport in Ciudad Juarez, the baby was taken to a specialist children’s hospital “because the birth took place in an environment that was not controlled or under adequate hygiene measures” while the mother was rushed elsewhere, with the pair reunited the over the weekend.
The regional health department, the Secretaría de Salud Chihuahua, said in a statement that “after the first 24 hours of admission, the mother was discharged; she immediately moved by her own means to the Children’s Specialty Hospital where she could carry her baby in her arms”.
Aeromexico, who the couple were flying with, gifted the baby with 90 free flights to mark the occasion – with the Mexican flag carrier celebrating its 90th anniversary this year.
The Independent has contacted the airline for comment.
It told the Daily Mail: “We are very excited to have been part of this great story that is just beginning.
“Aeromexico thanks the doctors for their professionalism, recognises the extraordinary work of the crew of flight attendants and pilots, in addition to reiterating that the safety of clients and collaborators is our highest priority.”
It’s not clear how many weeks pregnant Ms Tulus was, but according to Aeromexico’s website, anyone who is 33 or more weeks pregnant “may only travel after providing a medical certificate”.
