'Humiliated' nurse claims she was kicked off plane after 'concerns' were raised over rare skin condition
A nurse says she was left 'embarrassed and ashamed’ after she was interrogated about her rare medical condition before a flight, before being booted off the plane.
Brianna Solari claimed that she was left ‘humiliated’ by airline staff, who she said grilled her about her rare skin condition.
Brianna explained that at the time, she had boarded a plane to LA to remove non-cancerous tumours on her skin, which went well.
That was until she was on a Southwest Airlines flight back when she says a flight attendant came around to question her about her skin.
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Because she had just undergone surgery, her skin was inflamed.
She has been diagnosed with neurofibromatosis, a condition which means that she has tumours growing along her nerves.
She explained to KCRA-TV that the attendants on Flight 3471 then went on to kick her off the flight, citing that ‘concerns' had been raised about her skin.
To her, she believes they thought she had chickenpox, which is highly contagious.
Not one to disclose her personal details to strangers, Brianna simply said she’d just had surgery (which was true).
However, that wasn’t good enough for the staff, who told her that she’d have to be cleared to fly by a Southwest Airlines doctor.
But when they called the doc, she claims that her request to speak to him was denied.
She said: "This is absolutely discrimination! Violating my medical privacy.
"They don’t have to know. I just said I had surgery, and that should be it.
"They shouldn’t be prying into my private medical information.
She added: "I said 'let me speak to the doctor'. I wasn’t examined by this physician."
Speaking about her condition, she explained: "I lack an enzyme, which is neurofibromin, which is a tumour suppressor.
"So tumours grow along nerves and can be tiny, little pinpoint tumours, or they can be enormous. Some of them can be very disfiguring."
After the ordeal on the flight, Brianna said she was left ‘humiliated, embarrassed and ashamed’.
Afterwards, she even had to get a letter from her surgeon so that she could fly.
Thankfully, the airport staff accepted her letter and soon she was on the next flight to Sacramento, but she isn’t letting it go.
She said: "It’s already difficult enough with this condition because I did have some visible tumours on my face and my arms, and people would comment."
As compensation, she claimed that the airport gave her a $500 flight voucher and a $45 meal voucher.
But she wants to sue.
Explaining her choice, she said the airline ‘could have been handled much more professionally’.
The nurse told the TV network: "They should have waited until they had all of the information before making a decision that ultimately impacted my day, my flight, my travelling."
In response, Southwest Airlines told The New York Post: "We are disheartened to learn of the Customer’s experience flying out of Hollywood Burbank Airport with us and extend our deepest apologies for the inconvenience.
"Even though our team ultimately received clearance for the customer to travel, we weren’t able to do so in time for the flight’s departure.
"We rebooked her on a later flight, offered a travel voucher for a future flight along with a meal voucher, and we’re following up with her directly to discuss the situation."
LADbible has contacted Southwest Airlines for comment.
Britt Jones