COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - A Columbia woman went to Facebook after she claims she and her young son were asked to leave an American Airlines flight due to the rare skin condition they both share.
Jordan Flake posted on Feb. 28 that she and her 12-month-old son, Jackson, had boarded their American Airlines flight before an airline employee came over and asked about her skin condition.
A part of her post reads:
She was on the flight in Dallas after visiting her military husband, who is stationed in Texas. She hadn’t seen him in two months.
She said she did not have a doctor’s note for her or her son and the airline didn’t require one for her condition.
In addition to being asked to leave the flight, Flake says they weren't able to retrieve her already checked luggage, however, the employee did help her get a new flight home and a hotel room for the night.
"I have never been so humiliated in my life! I have emailed them and am waiting for a reply," her post continued. "Happy Rare Disease Day! Quit being ignorant and take the time to listen to people! I shouldn’t have to explain myself."
According to the First Skin Foundation, ichthyosis “is a family of genetic skin disorders characterized by dry, scaling skin that may be thickened or very thin. The prefix ‘ichthy’ is taken from the Greek root for the word fish. Each year, more than 16,000 babies are born with some form of ichthyosis.”
The incident, Flake said, also happened on Rare Disease Day. Flake’s Facebook post was first featured on the website Love What Matters.
American Airlines, in a statement to WIS, apologized for the incident and says they have started an investigation on the matter:
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