The Beegle family was returning from a vacation from Disney World in Florida when their pilot ordered an emergency landing so that 15-year-old Juliette could be removed from the flight, according to the teenager’s mom Donna Beegle.
Beegle now plans to sue, according to ABC News.
Juliette, who has trouble communicating verbally, reportedly moves her hands, makes noises and cries when she wants her family to know that she is uncomfortable. The teenager was reportedly having problems on the United Airlines flight she was on because she doesn’t eat cold food.
The flight attendants were reportedly unable to provide Juliette hot food.
“I was so frustrated,” explained Beegle.
“I was like, ‘I’m trying to prevent a meltdown here, if you could, so help us out.’ I said, ‘When she melts down and she’s upset, that’s when you’re gonna wanna help her.”
After Juliette was able to eat, she was calmly watching a movie when the Portland-bound plane came to an emergency landing at Salt Lake City, according to NY Daily News. On the tarmac in Utah, the paramedics reportedly originally refused to force Juliette off the plane, but the pilot stepped out of the cockpit to speak to them.
“The paramedic said this was an over-reactive flight attendant and started shaking his head, and said, ‘We have real work to do,’ and left,” Beegle stated.
“We were still baffled.”
“Any parent [would be upset] if you see your child treated disrespectfully as if they’re not human,” explained Beegle.
“I started to cry. I was crying for her.”
