Every parent dreams that their child will reach great heights, but for one American woman, her son was born ready to soar.
When Kendra Rhoden, a Connecticut resident, boarded an American Airlines flight at seven months pregnant, she never expected her water to break.
Rhoden was still six weeks out from her due date when she flew from New York to the Dominican Republic last month, CBS affiliate WFSB reported.
Rhoden’s sister, who was also on the flight, documented the experience across several videos on TikTok.
“Everything just happened so fast, it just happened so quick,” Rhoden told WFSB.
While in midflight, Rhoden’s son was born. He is a U.S. citizen, as recorded on his birth certificate, but his place of birth is listed as “in the air.”
Rhoden told WFSB that she had been sleeping in her plane seat when she felt the baby kick, and then her water break.
On TikTok, Rhoden’s sister claimed the mother was feeling discomfort before boarding the plane, but thought she “had to do a number two.” With no luck in the bathroom, Rhoden and her family boarded the plane.
When Rhoden’s water broke, her sister claimed she alerted the flight attendants on board. The cabin crew then asked if there were any doctors or nurses on the flight willing to assist.
With the help of several nurses, Rhoden delivered her baby boy on the plane.
Rhoden’s sister posted another TikTok calling the nurses “heroes.”
“Thank you. We appreciate you for all the hard work you did that day because we know how things really could have went left,” Rhoden’s sister said.
In honour of the nature of his birth, Rhoden chose to name her son Skylan.
After several days in hospital in the Dominican Republic, both Skylan and Rhoden are home safe in Connecticut, WFSB reported.
American Airlines confirmed the birth of Skylan in a statement to People Magazine.
“Upon landing, the customer was transported to a local hospital for evaluation,” the spokesperson wrote. “We thank our team members and medical professionals on board for their professionalism and quick action.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, it is safe for women with healthy pregnancies to fly up to 36 weeks before their due date.