Mum praises airline staff after daughter has seizure on flight

Published: August 09 2024
Last updated: August 09 2024

Emily Stanley | Mum praises airline staff for swift action after her daughter had a seizure during a flight from Spain.

Raven, with mum Phoebe and dad MarkA mum whose daughter had a seizure on a flight home from Spain, is praising airline staff and passengers for their help.

Phoebe Norfolk was flying home with her eight-year-old daughter Raven and husband from Alicante.

Raven has myoclonic astatic epilepsy but has never been advised not to travel. She seemed fine before the flight, but collapsed shortly after takeoff.

Phoebe said that numerous people offered to help, including a doctor and a nurse, who looked after her young daughter. The flight was diverted to Barcelona, where Raven was taken to a local hospital to be checked over.

Phoebe praised the response from the cabin crew staff and the medical professionals on board. She wants to tells others to “try not to worry about epilepsy or having seizures in an unknown place as so many people will rush in to help if you need it!”

When exiting the plane, the family says they were told that they didn’t need to worry about getting home as the airline TUI would sort it out for them. However, when they arrived back at the airport, they say they were informed by the airline that this was not the case.

The family had no option but to borrow money to pay over £600 for flights with Ryanair that evening, which they said was a very stressful experience.

Have you had a similar experience to Raven and her family? Did people come to your aid, or did you find yourself in a difficult situation? Get in touch to share your experiences.