Obese flier turned away from airlines; dies overseas

SwolfeC

OMG the people who have replied to this sound cruel. she was willing to buy two seats because of her size they should have accommodated her. Most of us on this site could have been this woman's size had we not decided to stop and change our lives. She was older and grew up in a time where they did not have as much support and help for the over weight. show some compassion and stop speaking ill of the dead. I love this site for the caring people who just want to help others in their journey to lose weight and get healthy, not those who judge people who have not made that choice.

I agree that the family should not be suing the airlines, but that does not make how some of you are acting okay.

Shannon2714

I am FAR from a skinny person, but I'm sorry, I don't want to sit next to someone for an international flight when they weight 400+ pounds. Also, she should have gone to a hospital THERE. It is no one's fault but her own that she died there. Unfortunately, as others have pointed out, her family probably will get some kind of settlement....which is just ridiculous.

corn63

Once again another obese person not taking responsibility for their actions.

Pixi_Rex

Not the airline's fault, but some of you guys are complete d*cks considering you probably were fat *kitten* too at one point.

I used to be anorexic if that makes you feel better about yourself?

Then overweight, now almost normal again... I was severely underweight for most my life.. I can't imagine anyone being 400 pounds, I doubt I have even met someone as big as that EVER, maybe close to 300 and they were HUGE! I'm only 5ft.. Those sizes would likely kill my soul before I could even get that big.. it just seems impossible to not notice to me...

I don't know about you, but I rather say it like it is, than have this pretend stuff about actually caring when

1) I don't know them so it is impossible for me to be emotionally attached to them.

2) They let themselves get into trouble by being that big, must I feel sorry for them? REALLY?

I find it hard that you cannot imagine someone over 400 pounds - and I bet you have met someone that was 400 pounds or close to it and you didn't realize it - not EVERYONE looks like they weigh what they do. And Look around you.

You are on a site where people have lost HUNDREDS of pounds if someone has lost 200 pounds and is still 200 pounds do the math. They are not sumo wrestlers they are normal everyday people.

Did they LET themselves get that way? In some cases yes but in some cases no. I mean at one point I am sure they were in control but then you get so big you just give up any hope - and if you don't know where to turn its easy to get that big. OR maybe there is a documented medical reason they are that big (it happens)

I myself am under 5 feet tall and am over 200 pounds, I gained most of my weight due to a medical issue, and then I got hurt in a car accident and then I just quit trying and I got up to 220 before I decided to stop and look at my life.

You shouldn't pass so much judgement on someone.

As for the woman in the article. It is sad that she died but I do not think the airport should be held responsible - she could have sought medical attention over there. Or maybe she just shouldnt have been travelling in the first place.

Kathy_TheVampireSlayer

"amputee who suffered from kidney disease and diabetes" She had this disability. if her fatness doesn't count.

half_moon

How can they control how much someone gains during their extended vacation?

UsedToBeHusky

OMG the people who have replied to this sound cruel. she was willing to buy two seats because of her size they should have accommodated her. Most of us on this site could have been this woman's size had we not decided to stop and change our lives. She was older and grew up in a time where they did not have as much support and help for the over weight. show some compassion and stop speaking ill of the dead. I love this site for the caring people who just want to help others in their journey to lose weight and get healthy, not those who judge people who have not made that choice.

The point was not her weight. They did not have the seatbelt extenders available to strap her in. If the pilot had allowed her to fly, then she would have went unstrapped while other passengers were belted in. If something were to happen midflight, she could have been tossed around the cabin which would have been dangerous to the other passengers. THAT is why they didn't allow her to fly, and it is a perfectly understandable and acceptable reason. They aren't required to carry the seatbelt extenders. Odds are that the airline owns a limited number of them, and this flight, for whatever reason, didn't get one. OR they tried to use the seatbelt extenders and the ones that they had weren't long enough. They did actually try to seat her before they asked her to disembark the plane.

firefoxxie

^True, was actually scared I would see a bunch of angry people, but glad I saw DaniD's comment. 425 pounds... nuff said.

Sorry we are not all skinny and buff like you

Woah woah woah there. I'm not NEAR skinny nor buff and I agree with the other reply. It's all on her.

BaconMD

if they flew her one way, then they should have flew her back.

Yes, it shouldn't matter if she gained more weight during her month abroad, putting herself and others at risk... Makes sense. :yawn:

It's not her fault she was too big, the airlines should have built a bigger plane for her. Obviously they need to pay for this mistake so they never do it again!

gr8pillock

Woooooooooow.... given that this is MFP, I was expecting outrage, as is appropriate given the circumstances. If Kevin Smith had died due to not being able to get home because that airline refused him clearance to fly (and he isn't even that big), there would be a world wide uproar and a change in the procedures. That woman was a human being, with the right to live, be allowed to leave the country that allowed her clearance to enter in the first place, and see her physicians who might have been able to save her, knowing her conditions, and the airline that had NO TROUBLE taking her away from her doctors, should have returned her. Anyone saying 'there are doctors in Europe,' go watch the documentary Chernobyl Heart and watch the maternity ward footage. Hospitals are NOT the same.

All of you responding that she 'killed herself,' (given that I was once 290 pounds and have now lost over 100 pounds) I beg to ****ing differ. It is never too late to make changes, it is never too late to decide to get healthy...until an airline denies you the ability to seek medical care at home. She was not given such an opportunity to reach such a stage and that IS the airlines' fault. They hauled her *kitten* there, they should have hauled her *kitten* back. PERIOD! Law suit handled.

And seriously, I've heard there's a lot of negative, trolling and bashing on this site (which is for people JUST LIKE HER to find support), but I'd never personally encountered it. Well, open my eyes. Here it all is.

survivor1952

being unable to accommodate her and being unwilling to accommodate her are two very different things. they tried. they tried to accommodate her. in every instance, they exhausted their options. people cannot expect the world to guarantee them what they need in exactly the way they need it at all times and in all places. it would be nice if the world worked that way, but it just isn't possible.

all airlines (and all businesses) can do is try to anticipate what their customers will need. this doesn't mean that they will be able to succeed at all times, especially when confronted with a one-in-100-million customer who falls so far out of the bell curve that she required highly specialized equipment just to get her on a plane.

the airline didn't kill this woman. her poor health did.

I totally agree with your comment. It is not just a question of seatbelt extenders or purchasing two seats. We are talking about a long flight here, from one continent to another. I read the articles about this woman. She was not freely mobile. How was she to move through the aisles to get to the rest room? How was she to use the restroom? Would her moving about the plane cause other passangers to be inconvenienced? She was diabetic & in renal failure. Why would you knowingly risk your life to take a trip of this nature? Would a doctor actually give his approval for a trip like this? I personally feel the responsibility lies on her & her husband for making poor choices.

BritneysStuntDouble

I ran into a similar situation years ago. I was excited to finally see "Honk If You're Horny" at the local movie theater. You might remember it, starring Faye Dunaway and Pauly Shore.

When I asked for my ticket, the kid at the window said that he had to check with the manager first. So, then, the manager comes over and tells me, "I'm terribly sorry, sir, but I'm afraid our facilities are not equipped to meet your needs."

:huh:

When I asked what he meant by that, he replied, "What I'm saying, sir, is that a man of your carriage couldn't possibly fit in our seats." I offered to sit in the aisle, but he said that it would violate the fire code.

Then, some guy standing by the door yelled, "Hey, Fatty! I've got a movie for ya: A Fridge Too Far!" as everyone outside the theater began to laugh at me. The manager sensed my rising anger, and tried to placate me with a free garbage bag full of popcorn. Before leaving with what little dignity I had remaining, I told him, "This may surprise you, but you can't buy me off with food. I'm sick of all your stereotypes and cheap jokes! The overweight individuals in this country are just as smart and talented and hard working as everybody else. And they're going to make their voices heard!"

Today, my voice is heard, here on MyFitnessPal.

Shannon2714

OMG the people who have replied to this sound cruel. she was willing to buy two seats because of her size they should have accommodated her. Most of us on this site could have been this woman's size had we not decided to stop and change our lives. She was older and grew up in a time where they did not have as much support and help for the over weight. show some compassion and stop speaking ill of the dead. I love this site for the caring people who just want to help others in their journey to lose weight and get healthy, not those who judge people who have not made that choice.

The point was not her weight. They did not have the seatbelt extenders available to strap her in. If the pilot had allowed her to fly, then she would have went unstrapped while other passengers were belted in. If something were to happen midflight, she could have been tossed around the cabin which would have been dangerous to the other passengers. THAT is why they didn't allow her to fly, and it is a perfectly understandable and acceptable reason. They aren't required to carry the seatbelt extenders. Odds are that the airline owns a limited number of them, and this flight, for whatever reason, didn't get one. OR they tried to use the seatbelt extenders and the ones that they had weren't long enough. They did actually try to seat her before they asked her to disembark the plane.

sunsnstatheart

People weren't always this big, and in a lot of the rest of the world, they aren't. We seem to have lost our collective minds over a few things, including food. In the end, I feel for her husband and her but she created her own problems, and her husband shouldn't be blaming the airlines. Pretty sad all around though really.

funsiiz

I don't mean to sound insensitive but it sounds to me like she was having medical issues before trying to take the flight. The airlines tried to get her on another plane and that didn't work. Why did she not seek medical care where she was and forget the flight? They didn't refuse her a flight, they tried to accomidate...businesses can not be held responsible for not being prepared for every possible senerio that walks through. I think this is another case of someone trying to exploit and profit from something they could have prevented themselves.

Kathy_TheVampireSlayer

if they flew her one way, then they should have flew her back.

Yes, it shouldn't matter if she gained more weight during her month abroad, putting herself and others at risk... Makes sense. :yawn:

It's not her fault she was too big, the airlines should have built a bigger plane for her. Obviously they need to pay for this mistake so they never do it again!

Exactly!!!! because we know for a fact she did gain more! -_- I'm sure they have enough money to give her family and not go into poverty..

1ConcreteGirl

I guess I should just delete my account and die since I am over 400 lbs, thanks for all the encouragement

YOU are here. You have obviously made a choice to get healthy. That woman wasn't.

Nobody hates obese people here. Speaking for myself, I just think it's sad that the woman's family is trying to sue a company because their family member didn't care enough about her own health to take care of herself.

^Bingo.


It was her fault she died. Bottom line. This statement in no way implies that I do not like or respect obese people. If someone chooses to live their life obese, I have absolutely no problem with that. It has no bearing on how I choose to live my life. However, if that person passes away due to a weight related health problem, and their family then tries to blame someone else for their death, that's just irresponsible.

No one (well, one person is, but let's just ignore him) is saying that obese people just need to curl up and die.

Well said. Completely agree.

Kathy_TheVampireSlayer

Woooooooooow.... given that this is MFP, I was expecting outrage, as is appropriate given the circumstances. If Kevin Smith had died due to not being able to get home because that airline refused him clearance to fly (and he isn't even that big), there would be a world wide uproar and a change in the procedures. That woman was a human being, with the right to live, be allowed to leave the country that allowed her clearance to enter in the first place, and see her physicians who might have been able to save her, knowing her conditions, and the airline that had NO TROUBLE taking her away from her doctors, should have returned her. Anyone saying 'there are doctors in Europe,' go watch the documentary Chernobyl Heart and watch the maternity ward footage. Hospitals are NOT the same.

All of you responding that she 'killed herself,' (given that I was once 290 pounds and have now lost over 100 pounds) I beg to ****ing differ. It is never too late to make changes, it is never too late to decide to get healthy...until an airline denies you the ability to seek medical care at home. She was not given such an opportunity to reach such a stage and that IS the airlines' fault. They hauled her *kitten* there, they should have hauled her *kitten* back. PERIOD! Law suit handled.

And seriously, I've heard there's a lot of negative, trolling and bashing on this site (which is for people JUST LIKE HER to find support), but I'd never personally encountered it. Well, open my eyes. Here it all is.

I agree !

firstsip

Granted I came into this where a few posts have clearly been deleted, as based on the quotes I'm unable to track back to their initial posting...

But goddamn, this is becoming one of those bait and switch posts (not to you, OP, I know how you post and think this is more the sensitive people hijacking it). You come in expecting to read a discussion, and instead it turns into ten pages of people defending or attacking one comment that's most likely been deleted.

I just see a whole lot of shirking of responsibility posts in this thread. Especially the, "I'm very sensitive about having encountered public shame from being obese. Instead of being proud of the fact that I'm on MFP trying to make a change, I will attack any of you whom disagree with my defense of the person in the article."

half_moon

It's weird. it's not that I disagree with any of your posts.. but. Somehow, you are still come across as an *kitten*.

*kitten*... huh... Thats a first. Sorry if I come across that way.

When I put my finger on the reason why you come across that way, I'll let you know. At least you aren't an incorrect *kitten*?

gr8pillock

What in the hell is wrong with you people? I know I would never say anything like that about another person let alone in a community that is supposed to help people with that very same problem. Were you all gorgeous and skinny when you started on here? I doubt it.

She wasn't DOING ANYTHING to get healthy. Her family is now blaming an innocent company for HER health problems that led to her death. People in this community ARE here to get healthy. What don't some of you get about that?

You know nothing of her choices, or the changes she may have chosen to make since losing her limbs. Your judgment is yours to make, but it is not an educated judgment. I would love to discover her MFP profile announcing the pride of having lost fifty pounds before traveling... You don't know any better than I.

Nerdy_Rose

I ran into a similar situation years ago. I was excited to finally see "Honk If You're Horny" at the local movie theater. You might remember it, starring Faye Dunaway and Pauly Shore.

When I asked for my ticket, the kid at the window said that he had to check with the manager first. So, then, the manager comes over and tells me, "I'm terribly sorry, sir, but I'm afraid our facilities are not equipped to meet your needs."

:huh:

When I asked what he meant by that, he replied, "What I'm saying, sir, is that a man of your carriage couldn't possibly fit in our seats." I offered to sit in the aisle, but he said that it would violate the fire code.

Then, some guy standing by the door yelled, "Hey, Fatty! I've got a movie for ya: A Fridge Too Far!" as everyone outside the theater began to laugh at me. The manager sensed my rising anger, and tried to placate me with a free garbage bag full of popcorn. Before leaving with what little dignity I had remaining, I told him, "This may surprise you, but you can't buy me off with food. I'm sick of all your stereotypes and cheap jokes! The overweight individuals in this country are just as smart and talented and hard working as everybody else. And they're going to make their voices heard!"

Today, my voice is heard, here on MyFitnessPal.

I'm onto you.

momshorses

Just as a side note... we really don't know what happened. We only know what the media wants us to know and they will say/print anything to sell a story. There was a time I thought the media was accountable for telling the truth and making sure their facts were correct. After going through a bad/emotional and very public experience as a family, I quickly realized how wrong I was. Direct quotes were taken and put in a context that totally changed the meaning. Wrong information was stated on the radio, in newpapers and on TV. (They could not even get the family connections right!!!)

Just be aware of this as you make your opinions known. We don't have all of the facts. Truthfully, there may not be anything correct in the article. The names might even be wrong and the "husband" might actually be her Uncle for all we know.

NormalSaneFLGuy

I think it all falls upon poor planning. If you have a severe medical issue that requires dialysis... why would you wait until the last moment to fly out? Due to weather conditions when traveling internationally, I've been stranded in airports well over 2 days, multiple times. She had a diagnosis prior to her trip and she should have left a larger window for getting home for her necessary medical treatment. Also, the US isn't the only country with dialysis machines...

At the end of the day, many people file stupid lawsuits, but that doesn't mean they will win.

Thomasm198

being unable to accommodate her and being unwilling to accommodate her are two very different things. they tried. they tried to accommodate her. in every instance, they exhausted their options. people cannot expect the world to guarantee them what they need in exactly the way they need it at all times and in all places. it would be nice if the world worked that way, but it just isn't possible.

all airlines (and all businesses) can do is try to anticipate what their customers will need. this doesn't mean that they will be able to succeed at all times, especially when confronted with a one-in-100-million customer who falls so far out of the bell curve that she required highly specialized equipment just to get her on a plane.

the airline didn't kill this woman. her poor health did.

I totally agree with your comment. It is not just a question of seatbelt extenders or purchasing two seats. We are talking about a long flight here, from one continent to another. I read the articles about this woman. She was not freely mobile. How was she to move through the aisles to get to the rest room? How was she to use the restroom? Would her moving about the plane cause other passangers to be inconvenienced? She was diabetic & in renal failure. Why would you knowingly risk your life to take a trip of this nature? Would a doctor actually give his approval for a trip like this? I personally feel the responsibility lies on her & her husband for making poor choices.

^^^^^ Quoting because both are extremely true.

NCchar130

I used to work for an airline (was a gate agent). Boarding disabled persons can be very difficult especially if they are large and not mobile. They have to be wheeled down the jetway in a regular wheelchair, transferred to a 'straight-back' wheelchair that will fit down the aisle and airline employees have to then lift the person physically into their seat. I have no clue if that was what they attempted to do here and couldn't or what the circumstances were. But I have witnessed some passengers *almost* get seriously injured trying to get seated and at least one large disabled man was denied boarding because even recruiting baggage handlers to help lift him, we could not get him seated, because a whole group of us couldn't get him out of the straightback from such an awkward position.

I can only imagine how frustrating and embarrassing this is, but you can't just blame the airline, I can think of a million reasons how this might have happened. She could have gone to the doctor where she was if she was feeling that ill.

As for the person above who was injured with no leg room, only people who can assist in an emergency get the exit-row seats. Airline (and where I worked, the employee) will be fined if you put a child, disabled person, non-native speaker, whatever in that row. If that was the only choice for extra leg room on your flight, your injury may be why you weren't seated there.

auroranflash

Woooooooooow.... given that this is MFP, I was expecting outrage, as is appropriate given the circumstances. If Kevin Smith had died due to not being able to get home because that airline refused him clearance to fly (and he isn't even that big), there would be a world wide uproar and a change in the procedures. That woman was a human being, with the right to live, be allowed to leave the country that allowed her clearance to enter in the first place, and see her physicians who might have been able to save her, knowing her conditions, and the airline that had NO TROUBLE taking her away from her doctors, should have returned her. Anyone saying 'there are doctors in Europe,' go watch the documentary Chernobyl Heart and watch the maternity ward footage. Hospitals are NOT the same.

All of you responding that she 'killed herself,' (given that I was once 290 pounds and have now lost over 100 pounds) I beg to ****ing differ. It is never too late to make changes, it is never too late to decide to get healthy...until an airline denies you the ability to seek medical care at home. She was not given such an opportunity to reach such a stage and that IS the airlines' fault. They hauled her *kitten* there, they should have hauled her *kitten* back. PERIOD! Law suit handled.

And seriously, I've heard there's a lot of negative, trolling and bashing on this site (which is for people JUST LIKE HER to find support), but I'd never personally encountered it. Well, open my eyes. Here it all is.

I agree !

Not exactly sure why you are making it sound like the airline kidnapped her and took her overseas but that's a funny way to look at it.

tl;dr for the rest of this thread, it dissolved into mush before I even got here. RIP to the lady. Take good care of yourselves to the best of your abilities. Let's take a walk or a jog in honor of this lady's life.

Danny_Boy13

At least you aren't an incorrect *kitten*?

:laugh: :laugh:

wellbert

Soutpark summed it up in a recent episode.

amy_36

The bottom line here is that she died of her morbid obesity, not because she was not able to physically board a plane. No one but me is responsible for my weight. I am the sole owner of that problem and hold the ability to do something about it, even if it where to be something small. She was an amputee likely because of uncontrolled diabetes. It sounds like she took no responsibility in taking care of herself. It sounds like she would have died in any case whether she was here in the United States or overseas where she did die. And medical help may not have even saved her. Maybe she did seek it and it was too late.