Nereida Araujo knew she had to give her baby a special name after she gave birth after 38-weeks of pregnancy. That’s because not many mothers can say that they had their baby on a runway as she can!
Araujo gave birth to a healthy little girl after her American Airlines flight landed in Charlotte, North Carolina. Araujo, who was flying out of Tampa, was flying at one of the busiest times of the year when her water broke. Such an uncommon birthplace prompted her to name her child something a little different- Lizyana Sky Taylor.
Araujo took to Facebook to give everyone an update on her and her baby. Baby Sky, as she was so aptly named, is doing well. Araujo also praised the first responders and staff who helped her along the way after her baby decided it was time to enter the world two weeks early.
Crystal Bryd, a spokesperson for American Airlines, talked to USA Today about the unusual incident. She said that the airline had to request medical assistance for a passenger on the plane when they landed in Charlotte, North Carolina. Upon landing, the Charlotte Fire Department and paramedics quickly assisted the mother with the birth of her baby girl. She was born on the runway of the Charlotte Douglass International Airport, according to a spokesperson for Mecklenburg EMS Agency. Grace Nelson stated that they are happy and thankful that they a part of the fascinating story.
WSOC, the local news station, reported that Araujo was 38-weeks pregnant and had been cleared by both her doctor and the airline to fly before boarding the plane. However, the baby decided to come before the almost two-hour flight was up. Araujo explained to the news that she felt something pop near her lower back after being woken up by the pain. She woke up her husband when she realized her water had broken. From there, the pair alerted flight attendants that they would soon be in need of medical assistance.
Nelson said that an airport is an extremely rare place to give birth, but that Araujo is not the first person that has gone into labor while on a plane. A mother gave birth while she was thousands of miles in the sky while on an airplane heading to Fort Lauderdale from San Juan, Puerto Rico. The birth even happened on an airplane called “Born To Be Blue”.
