Aisha Khatib may be a travel doctor, but she definitely wasn’t expecting this during a recent flight!
When parents envision giving birth, many picture a hospital room full of nurses and doctors, or perhaps a home birth with a midwife at their bedside. And that’s usually how it goes down. But for some, the experience is completely different than what they imagined.
Dr. Aisha Khatib, who is a professor at the University of Toronto as well as a doctor specializing in travel medicine, was on a Qatar Airways flight earlier this week when she did something she never expected: help deliver a baby in mid-air.
She shared her disbelief and excitement on Twitter on January 13, calling the delivery a “miracle in the air.”
Is there a doctor on the plane? 🙋🏽♀️👩🏽⚕️Never thought I’d be delivering a baby on a flight! ✈️ @qatarairways Thanks to the airline crew who helped support the birth of this Miracle in the air! Mom and baby are doing well and healthy! #travelmedicine pic.twitter.com/4JuQWfsIDE
— Aisha Khatib, MD (@AishaKhatib) January 13, 2022
And a miracle it truly is! Births on planes only occur in around 1 in 26 million passengers, according to aviation medical-support firm MedAire. Luckily, Khatib was aboard when the mother went into labour, and with the support of the plane’s flight crew, she delivered a healthy baby girl.
Khatib got lots of love on social media for her efforts, and was applauded by an array of doctors, including the school of medicine at the University of Toronto, which called the story “the content we all need right now.”
“This is what you call the epitome of travel medicine!” said another Twitter user in reply to Khatib’s incredible story.
But for Khatib, whose academic research has looked at risks of flying during the COVID-19 pandemic, the most meaningful part of the experience was the appreciation she felt from the new mom. She expressed her joy with a slew of heart and crying emojis, writing that “the best part is that she named the baby after me!”
Take a look at the adorable newborn and the amazing crew who helped her mom welcome her into the world.
Meet baby Miracle Aisha 💕 pic.twitter.com/hkiJpgvGKv
— Aisha Khatib, MD (@AishaKhatib) January 13, 2022
Khatib said that both mother and baby are doing well after their eventful first moments together. Cheers again to Khatib for stepping up like a true hero!
