Emergency Onboard

Today I flew across the country. It was a long flight, unlike my usual 1-2 hour hops. I rarely fly on flights offering a movie, and it was a nice treat to have that option of entertainment. I got to see the Columbia River Gorge, the beautiful, snow-covered mountains, and the willingness of 4 medical professionals to help out a stranger in need. Not yet halfway through our long flight, a woman behind me lost consciousness. I don’t know why. The flight attendants immediately responded with oxygen and a call for any medical professionals onboard. It was reassuring to see people throughout the plane start getting up to allow doctors and nurses out of their seats. The woman seemed to pull through and walked off the plane without seeking further assistance. Things settled down after a bit, but I admit I was worried about her because we were so far from our destination and also far from the ground in general even if we wanted to make an emergency landing. It was beautiful to see the response, beautiful to experience the beauty of the country from an aerial view, and beautiful to see the ability of a body to bounce back from a medical issue, whether temporarily or permanently.