A Philippine Airline pilot shared the story on how he, along with his team, delivered a baby boy some 38,000 feet above the ground in this time of pandemic.
Fidel Guzman Ala wrote a lengthy Facebook status to share what it felt like having a medical emergency mid-air via PAL Flight PR659 flying from Dubai to Manila.
The returning Filipino who have birth was an overseas Filipino worker from Dubai and availing of the repatriation flight. The flight was forced to make an emergency landing at Bangkok, Thailand and the mother was immediately brought to the nearest hospital.
“It was one of the, if not the most stressful and yet fulfilling experiences in my life. As there were no doctors on board, I had to call one through sat-phone and very carefully relay all those medical terms to the cabin attendants delivering a baby. To me, that felt tad terrifying. One misinterpretation of the doctor’s instructions would spell-out a person’s doom or destiny,” Ala wrote, adding that he had to re-ask the doctor on the other side if he understood his instructions correctly.
He further added that through that experience, he’s able to understand and recognize the efforts of those people who went through medical school.
Part of his conversation with the doctor is to relay to the crew the step by step procedure on how to cut an umbilical cord.
“I had to draw a diagram and re-ask the doctor just to be sure,” he shared.
Ala also mentioned that some pilots retire without even having to experience a medical emergency in their whole life ‘and yet our crew hit jackpot.’
The baby was named Ali, which means elevated or most high in Arabic.
“Such a wonderful name for one who is born flight levels above ground. Ali, I hope to meet you one day. God bless you. You are a miracle amidst this world’s current misery,” Ala said.
