Maarkedal (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Lore Nachtergaele (22) from Maarkedal provided assistance to a pregnant Senegalese woman during birth on the plane. Sinair Flight 695 transported its passengers from Dakar while travelling to Brussels. The experience turned out to be thrilling since Lore received her nursing diploma after only two weeks.
Lore Nachtergaele, at 22 years old with two weeks of nursing practice, assisted a Senegalese woman in labor during a flight from Dakar to Brussels. Her nurturing disposition compelled her to step forward after the pilot declared an emergency since she had minimal nursing experience.
The pregnant woman who was 32 weeks along and suffering from intense abdominal discomfort came to Lore for help after the flight had been in progress for thirty minutes.
The stewardess walked with Lore while they checked the situation and discovered the woman’s water had broken, signalling an imminent birth. During the flight, the doctor and Lore worked together to assist the pregnant passenger in giving birth on the plane floor two hours after departure. According to Lore,
“It was stressful, but everything went well”.
“I hesitated to put my hand up because I don’t have that much work experience yet,”
She says in ‘Goeiemorgen morgen.
“But nurses are caring people, so I decided to do it anyway.”
A stewardess came to get Lore and escorted her to a woman sitting further away.
“She was 32 weeks pregnant and had been having severe pains in her lower abdomen since take-off. The first thing I thought was: ‘ Shit , she’s not going to give birth on the plane?'”.
Lore and the stewardess took the woman to the back of the plane. There, they could check her parameters with the necessary privacy.
“We started timing her pains and then realised that the woman had broken her water and was going into labor.”
The pilot had already turned around in the hope of reaching Dakar in time so that the woman could give birth in a hospital.
“It couldn’t wait any longer, so it had to happen on the plane. Fortunately, there was also a young doctor present who could assist with the birth.”
Two hours after the flight took off in Dakar, the baby was born.
“Fortunately, everything went well. The woman really did an amazing job. She gave birth on the floor of an airplane and without pain medication.”
The baby is healthy and well. It is a girl.
“The baby was not immediately given a name at birth. The woman had not yet made a decision because she thought she still had a few weeks. Things turned out differently.”
When asked if Lori would meet the baby again, she said:
“Because of everything that happened, I even forgot to ask her name,”
She laughs.
“I did hear that the woman had family in Wervik. It would be nice to see them again.”
What Is the background of mid-flight medical emergencies in the region?
Airborne medical situations that lead to births happen infrequently in aviation operations, especially during extended flights between African and European territories. Brussels Airlines and other airlines maintain frequent flight services on the Dakar to Brussels route, which connects Western Africa to European destinations. A mix of individuals travelling for personal or professional needs, along with pregnant women, choose to fly on these routes.
The aviation industry tracks medical emergencies, which occur only once within 604 flights, but births rank among the rarest events. The essential medical equipment airlines need to have on flights covers first aid kits along with automated external defibrillators (AEDs). However, they depend completely on passengers who possess medical training to deal with unexpected events such as childbirth.
