American Airlines kicks off mom and baby over skin condition
What's the story
In a shocking incident, American Airlines kicked off a mother and her baby from its flight last week after seeing a "strange rash"; when in reality, the duo was suffering from a rare genetic skin disorder called Ichthyosis. The woman, Jordan Flake, and her baby, Jackson, were traveling from Texas to South Carolina when they were humiliated, multiple reports claimed. Here's what happened.
Definition
First let's understand, what is Ichthyosis
Ichthyosis is a group of genetic skin disorders identified by dry and scaling skin. The skin is either thickened or thin. 16,000 babies are born with a type of Ichthyosis every year. The disease, which is usually identified at birth, can affect anybody.
Series of events
Flake remembers the distressing incident
Flake was traveling to South Carolina after visiting her husband in Texas, who serves in the military. According to her, the co-passengers were friendly towards her baby irrespective of the skin condition. But the crew wasn't. The crew flagged it to an airline employee who spoke to Flake just before the take off. Reportedly, the man asked Flake to furnish a medical letter.
Post
On Rare Disease Day, Flake revealed incident on Facebook
Narrating the incident on Facebook, Flake wrote the crew discriminated against her and her baby. Though she explained that the disease is non-contagious, the crew asked them to de-board the flight as they failed to present a letter from the doctor. She requested people to stop being so ignorant so that those who suffer from disorders don't have to explain themselves in the future.
Facebook Post
Here is what Jordan posted on Facebook
Apology
After receiving criticism, American Airlines apologized
Flake's post, which highlighted how ignorance leads to insensitivity, forced American Airlines to apologize. According to the Fox News, the Airline spokesperson said, "We sincerely apologize to Ms. Flake and her son for the experience they had." They also said that their customer relation team spoke to Flake and have upgraded them. The family was also given a refund for the trip.