Alexa
Aug 24th 2009 7:45PM
it never fails, there's always someone quick to point out how rare it is that an in-flight emergency will occur. It may be rare, but they certainly do happen.
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THANK YOU. Throughout the years, I've had conservations with passengers who on occasion ask, "Have you had any emergencies?" I've had several passengers experience seizures, had a woman have major vaginal bleeding in her seat, had someone come up to me asking for oxygen. His face was GREY.
Had someone faint while waiting for the bathroom. etc. All those situations are really common experiences alot of flight attendants have.
I had a passenger at my exit a few months after my medical emergency. He overheard my experience of losing a passenger and commented, "Ohhh, but really how hard is it to use the AED?" he said. I said, "I didnt say it was hard to use the AED, I said, it was hard to deal with the circumstances, the man died." With that I got out of my jumpseat and went to work. I have to tell you, God works in mysterious ways. I went back to the aft galley and introduced myself to the F/A I didnt know working the flight. After the service, I commented to him about the arrogance of that passenger. Explained the loss of my passenger and how I wrote a letter to his wife. The male flight attendant teared up and said, "Do you know who I am?" Confused, I said, "No, not really." The flight attendant explained to me that he was in a crash many years ago that involved passengers dying after the flight made it's final impact. He was able to save many lives. He was hospitalized for several weeks. He told me "I hope you know how important and powerful the letter I wrote to the passenger's wife was". He explained by saying, " I still get Xmas cards from all those passengers I saved, all those years ago". A man who was burned over 60 percent of his body writes me every year and says, "thank you for saving my life." After several months of dealing with my passenger's death, I flew with someone who helped me relate and understood what I went through. What a wonderful experience.
And, I have to say, Upon landing, I looked at that passenger who belittled my profession as I got into my jumpseat and said, "See that flight attendant?" HE'S a HERO". He saved lives in a crash. NOW, Do YOU understand my duties?"

He was speechless. I sat there in my brace position and smiled.


I felt vindicated.