On a flight, a young woman allegedly experienced a “terrifying” acute allergic reaction to nuts, and the pilots allegedly declined to make an emergency landing.
A Delta Air Lines customer who had a serious reaction to nuts served after she informed the crew of her allergy and said the pilots refused to make an emergency landing has sworn never to fly with the airline again.
In April, Sara Metzger was returning from Sarasota, Florida, to Portland, Oregon, when she changed aircraft in Atlanta. While there, she told the flight attendants about her allergy.
But as the flight attendants started passing out refreshments, she informed the news source that they also had nuts.
When Ms. Metzger reminded them of her sensitivity, they inquired if she would like a safety zone surrounding her or if the staff should stop serving nuts entirely.
She asked that no nuts be provided, but when she saw that other people were munching on almonds, her neck started to ache and swell.
Both signs and symptoms are those of anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction that can happen shortly after being exposed to an allergen. If it is not treated right away, it may cause unconsciousness or even death.
In order to address the response, Ms Metzger hurried to the toilet and used an EpiPen, a hypodermic tool that delivers an epinephrine dosage.
A fellow passenger who claimed to be a cardiologist examined her and advised that she wait to see if her health improved, despite the fact that she had urged the crew to notify the captain that an emergency landing was required.
When her symptoms continued, Ms. Metzger administered a second dosage from an EpiPen.
No one on the staff is actually speaking to me at this time. They’re all speaking via one doctor, she told Insider, noting that his counsel went against that of ground-based medical personnel who advocated for a fast landing.
“I’m just sitting there dealing with the aftereffects of this anaphylactic response and praying that it won’t return so that I don’t pass away on this flight. Simply put, it was a scary scenario to be in, said Ms. Metzger.
Before arriving in Portland, first responders allegedly had to wait for the other passengers to exit before they were permitted to board, she said she was informed the pilots tried to find an airfield for an emergency landing.
The Office of Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings of the US Department of Transportation has received a complaint from Ms Metzger.
She claims that the airline ignored her life-threatening illness when it occurred and neglected to make accommodations for her impairment.
The lawsuit claims that the pilot disregarded Ms. Metzger’s medical risks and the advice of medical services on the ground in favour of the cardiologist/passenger’s wishes and not her clear medical requirements or the advice of medical services on the ground.
“The pilot refused to land,” it continues.
Ms. Metzger requests a penalty against the airline for its handicap discrimination.
She told Insider that the flight staff’s decision to risk my life and accept her impairment as it is “totally depends on their whim.”
I want to avoid passing away on a Delta aircraft. So I won’t be taking that chance again,” she continued.
“While we regrettably cannot respond to this specific event, passenger safety is Delta’s top priority and our crew is trained and prepared to respond to on-board events as they occur,” a Delta representative told Insider.
After a similar instance involving a New Jersey lady who complained to United Airlines, the incident happened.
Livingston resident Linda Mandelbaum, a proponent of food allergies, said flight attendants on a March 13 journey from Texas back to the Garden State declined to alert adjacent passengers to her son’s potentially fatal peanut allergy.
She said that the supervisory flight attendant treated the request impolitely.
On United’s website, it notes that travellers with severe food allergies are recommended to ask for a “allergy buffer zone” by informing other travellers nearby, but that it cannot prevent individuals from ingesting goods that contain allergens.
According to Delta’s website, “We’re devoted to making your flying experience comfortable. While we cannot guarantee a flight free of nuts or other allergens, we will do our best to accommodate any passenger’s needs.
The airline did not comment right away to The Post.
Source: news.com.au