Posted on 11/26/2012 11:23:14 AM PST by billorites
A sickly, obese Bronx woman was left stranded in Hungary then died from kidney failure after airline officials booted her from three New York-bound flights because she was too fat, her husband says.
“All we wanted was to come back home to get her treatment,” said a grieving Janos Soltesz, a Staten Island Ferry security guard whose 56-year-old wife, Vilma, died in Hungary nine days after she was kicked off the first of three jets.
Vilma, who weighed about 425 pounds, had only one leg and used a wheelchair. She traveled with her husband of 33 years to Hungary on Delta and KLM airlines on Sept. 17.
They spent several relaxing weeks at a vacation home they owned in the Hungarian countryside. It was a trip they took almost every year.
Before the journey, their travel agent informed Delta of Vilma’s condition and bought two tickets for her and one for Janos.
They planned to come home Oct. 15 so Vilma could resume treatment with the doctors she had been seeing for years.
But the couple, both natives of Hungary, were told Vilma couldn’t be accommodated by KLM after they boarded the jet home, Janos said.
“They tried to fit her into the back of the plane, but they didn’t have an extension to secure her,” Janos, 56, said.
Her illness, a combination of kidney disease and diabetes, caused her to gain water weight, and the airline said it didn’t have a seat-belt extender for her, Janos said.
He was also told the seat back couldn’t handle his wife’s weight.
“It appeared on the passenger’s return that it was not physically possible for her to board the aircraft, despite every effort made by KLM to this end. A seat or belt extender did not offer a solution, either,” said KLM
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Obamaphones
Everytime I see this I have to laugh. We they Bushphones in early 2000’s? It does have a better ring with Obamaphones then Bushphones. Both presidents had the program and in fact, it was President Bush who began the program. Shouldn’t surprise anyone since he started the drug program, No child left behind and Homeland Security...big government the both of them.
“She had options, and this is just hubby trying to make a buck.”
I tend to agree. An “extension cord” is nothing more than another seat belt that’s attached to the existing seat belt. It’s not a special gadget.
Money talks. The airline probably sold her a roundtrip ticket in the US and reneged on the return trip.
Sick bastard.
The USAF could have used a C-17 or even a C-130.
Hungary’s government health service was not able to keep her alive.
Sounds to me like the widower has good grounds for a lawsuit. 425 pound divided by two = 212.5 pounds or roughly the average weight of a middle aged adult. The airline not only breached a clear contract, but contributed to the woman's death by their refusal to fly her after she had followed guidelines and bought two tickets.
It wasn't some fatty trying to waltz into the aisle seat and hang her butt over the center at the last minute. It was a disabled person request which the airline was obliged to accommodate by being informed of the condition and selling the ticket.
Why not?
Are you saying Socialized Medicine is worse than US medicine?
But it’s FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
If she was okay to board the plane tp Hungary, she should probably be okay to come back.
Just a thought.
The airline didn't refuse to fly her. It appears they exhausted reasonable efforts and suggested an alternative which the husband refused.
Nice post. Seriously. You got class!
I guess for the slow kids I have to add the sarcasm tag
My mother just told me about this story. She took away from it that the Hungarian health care system failed her.
I looked into medical transport when my brother took ill in NYC while on vacation. We wanted to fly him back to KC. It would have cost around $8-10,000. We would have considered it but he was on a vent and they wouldn’t take him unless he was on a trake. He died before they could make that change. Then, they inquired into flying his body back. That would have cost $8K. Ended up cremating him.
I’m on my iPhone. Can you please post Monty Pythons Bungarian phrase book photo “My hover craft is full of eels!” ? Thanks!
I’m very surprised you think this is funny. You’re usually more sensitive than this. She was a fellow human being.
The seat belt and/or extender was for the airline’s legal benefit, to protect them from liability in case she was injured.
I wish you had kept him in NYC! We still have great, great medical services. So sorry for your loss.
she was smaller and was able to board. Her kidneys started failing and her water gain bloated her body.
There is nothing really funny about this case, it is just a tragedy. She did what she was supposed to do. She bought two tickets. I am surprised they airline did not just bolt down her seat to not recline. (have seen that with other obese passengers on airplanes)
The fuzzy part of the article is whether she was too big for the door.
think hospital from the 1950’s with a dash, and only a dash, of modern meds.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.