When Dr Beverly Aiyanyor planned what she described as her solo trip to Guyana for vacation, it was for just that – vacation – and so obviously, nowhere in her plans was work included.
But little did the pediatrician know she would be on duty, performing a role not in her specialisation and more intriguingly, not even in a hospital. In fact, nowhere on land; but rather, some 30,000 feet in the sky.
This was her reality onboard American Airlines (AA) flight 2694 a week ago as she was flying back from Guyana to New York City.
Babies being born on airplanes is nothing new, and perhaps occurs with much more frequency than we even know.
But it’s certainly not every day that it happens on flights from Guyana, and the first-time experience for the good doctor has left her on an emotional roll-coaster – of joy on the one hand with the successful delivery – and anxiety on the other with all the what-ifs.
She shared what she described as being the humbling experience on her Instagram account, where she received overwhelming support and commendation, prominent among them from the AA team which expressed its gratitude for her courage.
An elated Dr Aiyanyor has reciprocated her gratitude, but was candid about her shock, sharing, “All of these emotions, sprinkled with tons of adrenaline pumping through my body and the fact that I had just delivered a baby 30,000 feet in the air.”
It had been just about an hour into the flight destined for JFK, New York, on September 22, when a flight attendant announced the need for medical assistance.
“As a pediatrician, I figured that nine times out of ten these medical emergencies are adults, but I figured I could come as support where needed,” Dr Aiyanyor recalled saying to herself.
She said she was the only one who responded to the call, and after enquiring from the flight attendant the issue, was informed that a woman was experiencing abdominal pain, before eventually learning that the woman was actually pregnant and was in fact having contractions.
Now realising that she was dealing with a “very different” situation, Dr Aiyanyor said that she next sought to obtain a brief clinical history from her now-patient, whom she then estimated to have been about 34 weeks pregnant.
Suspecting the contractions to be Braxton-Hicks (commonly referred to as false contractions), the doctor sought to assure her new patient and that they would try to make her comfortable and help her through the remainder of the flight.
Underscoring the maxim that “two heads are better than one,” and for which she would be immensely grateful, the pediatrician said just then a physical therapist came forward to ask if there was anything he could do.
Just as she welcomed the assistance of the extra pair of hands, the doctor said that the woman related that her contractions were coming closer together and growing more frequent as she frantically related to what by then was her newly assembled medical team that, “the baby is coming!”
‘This Baby is coming NOW’
Clearly not having anticipated that she would be confronted with that reality, Dr Aiyanyor said she nervously enquired from the flight attendants how far away from JFK they were and was told a remaining three and a half hours before touchdown.
“I blurted ‘OH BOY’,” the doctor said, admitting that she “may or may not have used a different word.”
She said she continued, “This baby is going to deliver on this plane!”
Dr Aiyanyor said they immediately sprang into action, creating a makeshift bed by raising the armrests of the plane seats, and after seeking the patient’s permission, performed a pelvic exam “to the best of my ability” using the natural light coming from the airplane’s window.
Her assistant (the physical therapist) knelt at the head of their converted bed helping the mother to breathe, while at the same time providing her (Dr Aiyanyor) with updates on pulse beats and so on.
By the time she performed the pelvic exam and detected what it revealed, the woman’s two children and their father who were “understandably nervous,” had moved to the other row.
According to the doctor, she and her team immediately started gathering materials such as gloves, plastic bags, “ALL of the paper towels from the plane’s bathrooms,” and a medical kit, as they prepared for what she said by then was the “inevitable.”
It was not long after that the woman had another contraction during which she did a repeat pelvic exam and saw the baby’s head.
“I yelled this Baby is coming NOW!” Dr Aiyanyor said in her post.
At the next contraction she encouraged the mother to push, “as I guided the baby out and out came a baby boy.”
But she said that there was no relief for anyone – at least not yet – as the baby was “initially blue” and made no sound, which caused her worry.
She immediately placed the baby on its mother’s body and stimming (stimulating action) like her life depended on it, repeatedly whispered to the newborn “oh please cry.”
She said that the eventual sound of the crying infant brought them relief and elation.
The umbilical cord was then cut, and at that time the flight attendants informed her that they would be diverting to the Dominican Republic so that the mother could be given further medical care.
Dr. Aiyanyor said that as time passed, the baby “started to have more colour to him, which made me feel better,” while adding that he was “reassuringly alert and breathing comfortably.” They had wrapped him in one of the flight attendant’s blazers to keep him warm, before eventually finding a blanket for him.
She then told the by-then weak mother that she needed to push again to eject her placenta. She said that the woman was initially unable to push, but after some time and encouragement, was finally able to.
After landing in the Dominican Republic, Dr. Aiyanyor provided a report to airport staff and related to them her clinical concerns regarding the baby as she handed him to their team as the mother was escorted off the plane in a wheelchair in the company of dad and their two other kids, who repeatedly thanked her.
Dr Aiyanyor said she came in for lusty applauds of congratulations, was given a bottle of Chardonnay wine by the flight attendants and upgraded to first-class for the remainder of the flight to JFK.
The doctor recalled that for about two hours after the delivery ordeal, she was still shaking in disbelief and had to be comforted by those seated closest to her who sought to reassure:
“Aww you did good Doc!”
“I know that was scary but baby is fine!”
“You should be so proud of yourself!”
In spite of the congratulatory messages from the passengers and crew, Dr Aiyanyor realised that her prolonged shaking had been because of being “overwhelmed with a mix of emotions.”
Candidly describing the experience on her social media post as being “by far the craziest thing that has ever happened to me,” she shared her retrospective thoughts of fear and anxiety but yet joy.
“What if there were complications, i.e. baby was breached? Had shoulder dystocia? Was apneic? Or even worse….? What if there are legal ramifications?”
She said she was plagued by anxiety also, as “I had not delivered a baby since medical school” but yet felt joyful, exclaiming, “The baby was ALIVE, Thank God!”
Dr. Aiyanyor said that she was overcome by “these emotions, sprinkled with tons of adrenaline pumping through my body and the fact that I had JUST DELIVERED A BABY 30,000+ feet in the air!”
Admitting that she is still trying to wrap her mind around the events of that day, the doctor said that hers were the type of stories one hears of on TV “and I still can’t believe it happened to me.”
Publicly expressing gratitude in her post over the past few days, she thanked her “assistant” in the “delivery room,” the physical therapist who she said “kept Mom calm and was an extra set of hands.”
She noted that he is an older Guyanese man who she believes works at NY Presbyterian (hospital), and is asking anyone who knows to say how she might get in contact with him.
She next extended gratitude to the flight attendants, who she said were “supportive, quick-thinking,” and provided her with all she needed; and also to the passengers who respected the calls not to record the events.
She said, too, that notwithstanding the delay to them, they were understanding of the need to divert.
Finally, she thanked American Airlines for the gifts with which she was showered and to her friends and family who have supported and helped her process “this crazy situation over the past few days.”
Dr. Aiyanyor said she is unsure of how to get in contact with the baby’s family, but would love an update for emotional reasons as she still feels anxious about the entire experience, as well as for educational reasons and for closure since she is very interested in the baby’s medical outcome.
Against this background she is asking anyone who may be able to assist her in contacting the family, “please let me know.”
In recognition of her courage, American Airlines in a letter to Dr Aiyanyor which she posted on her Instagram page, offered the company’s formal thank-you for her medical expertise which she had offered freely “when it was needed most.”
Apart from the gifts and various other tokens of appreciation which Dr Aiyanyor said she received from the Airline, it said in its letter, “we wish you well and value your AAdvantage@ loyalty and support. It will be our privilege to welcome you aboard American when your plans call for travel by air.”
