A mother is eternally thankful to her daughter after the child reported an issue to flight attendants during a flight to Greece that eventually saved her life.
According to the New York Post, 39-year-old Alexandra Hajipaulis was on a Ryanair flight from England to Crete in July 2018 when her six-year-old daughter, Jaideen, noticed her mother had passed out in her seat shortly after takeoff.
When Jaideen notified the attendants working the flight, they called for a doctor who determined Hajipaulis was suffering an ischemic stroke. The captain called for an emergency landing in Italy, where the plane touched down safely, and Hajipaulis was transported to a local hospital in a coma.
Doctors believe an air bubble in one of Hajipaulis’ veins traveled to her brain when the plane took off, causing a shift in the air pressure and resulting in the stroke that left her paralyzed in both legs and the left arm.
Over a year after the terrifying incident took place, Hajipaulis is sharing her story to give credit to her daughter for quick thinking. While the mother is still working with therapists so she can walk again, she believes she is alive today due to her daughter’s actions.
“Jaideen saved my life. She knew something was wrong,” Hajipaulis told the New York Post. “She got me help even though she was only six years old at the time. I’m so proud of her.”
As a result of the incident, Hajipaulis’ mother Lorna, 66, moved back to the United Kingdom from Crete to care for her daughter and two grandchildren full time.
“We are convinced that with the right physiotherapy, Alex could walk again – that’s all we want to happen,” Lorna said.
Earlier this year, new research showed that while a majority of parents wouldn’t dream of vacationing without their young children, 22 percent choose to leave them behind to have a more enjoyable time.
