Teamwork as baby is born on flight to Hawaii

A doctor and a team of neonatal medical professionals were in the right place at the right time – helping a woman deliver her baby onboard a flight to Hawaii.

Lavinia “Lavi” Mounga was travelling from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Hawaii on April 28 for a family holiday when she gave birth to her son Raymond at just 29 weeks gestation.

Dr Dale Glenn, a Hawaii Pacific Health family medicine doctor, along with Lani Bamfield, Amanda Beeding and Mimi Ho – neonatal intensive care unit nurses from North Kansas City Hospital – were also on board.

“About halfway through the flight, there was an emergency call, and I’ve experienced this before and usually they’re pretty clear asking if there is a doctor on board,” Dr Glenn said.

With no special equipment, the group got creative – they used shoelaces to cut and tie the umbilical cord and used a smartwatch to measure the baby’s heart rate.

“We’re all trying to work in a very small, confined space in an airplane, which is pretty challenging. But the teamwork was great,” Dr Glenn said.

Medical crews were waiting at the airport in Honolulu to help get the mother and baby to Kapiolani Medical Centre for Women and Children.

The three nurses from the flight were able to visit Ms Mounga and the baby on Friday and said it was an emotional reunion.

“We all just teared up. She called us family and said we’re all his aunties, and it was so great to see them,” Ms Ho said.

Ms Mounga has since been discharged but baby Raymond will remain in the newborn intensive care unit.