LONDON – Last Thursday, a veteran nurse saved the life of a three-month-old baby girl on a Spirit Airlines flight from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Orlando, Florida.
The scare started shortly after the flight took off from Pittsburgh International Airport.
The flight from Pittsburgh to Orlando was operated by a 9-year-old Airbus A320 aircraft. The service from Pittsburgh to Orlando is operated on a daily basis, usually taking just under one hour.
Thirty minutes after departure from flight NK1691 the parents of the three-month-old baby girl were shocked as their baby suddenly stopped breathing.
Tamara Panzino, a nurse for more than 20 years, onboard flight 1691, quickly realized the severity of the situation and rushed to the baby to help.
Other passengers saw the nurse massaging both the legs and the neck of the baby, which eventually led the baby to start breathing again shortly after.
Ian Cassette, a FOX 35 news correspondent filmed the incredible moment and shared the video footage on Twitter. He praised the nurse for her incredible work onboard the aircraft, saving the baby’s life.
Due to Panzinos quick response, the flight continued without further incident to Orlando, without the flight enforcing an emergency landing.
After the incident, Panzino spoke to WESH TV about the events onboard flight 1691. “I had no idea whether the baby was choking or if the airway was clear, and I did not know what I was dealing with.”
“I saw an infant with the head back, blue lips, and her skin turning blue, clearly in distress and not breathing. And my heart just dropped.”
Talking with FOX News, Panzino said that it was especially rewarding to save the life of an infant.
“When you have to step forward and do what’s right, you do it. It was just a happy story, and it made me feel really good.”
FOX 35 correspondent Ian Cassette said in a thread on Twitter that “I’ve never felt that much nervous energy before. The second we saw those helping Angelé (editors note: infant) start to smile, we all breathed a sigh of relief.”
He added that “The parents of three-month-old Anjelé were terrified and had never experienced this before. They praised the positive energy of the plane and the heroic actions of Tamara for saving her.”
Cassette also said that “the flight attendants should be commended for their quick action for helping as well!”.
A Spirit Airlines spokesperson said in a statement Thursday night that: “We’re currently gathering information to learn more. We thank our crew and guest for the quick response.”
“Our Flight Attendants are trained to respond to medical emergencies onboard and utilize several resources, including communicating with our designated on-call medical professionals on the ground, using onboard medical kits, and receiving assistance from credentialed medical professionals traveling on the flight.”
Medical emergencies on flights happen quite regularly, with many of them ending without a serious outcome. This once again showed the massive impact of medical workers on emergency situations.
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