Baby Born Mid-Flight Will Fly Free for Life

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Though the woman pictured above was due in October, she gave birth to a healthy baby about five hours into her Cebu Pacific Air flight from Dubai to the Philippines on Sunday, according to a bystander on the plane. The labor was quick, the emergency landing was painless, and the miracle of life blew everyone's minds. Missy Berberabe Umandal chronicled the entire process in a Facebook post and has since gone viral.

The post in full reads:

Had the most 'NORMAL' flight ever with Cebu Pacific Air. A woman near our seat gave birth to a healthy baby girl, on our flight from Dubai back to PH. We had to do an emergency landing in India to ensure the baby's safety. All flight attendants, pilots, and passengers were very attentive too. Very lucky baby.. since she was born in a Cebu Pac plane, she is awarded 1,000,000 Get Go Points from the airline (STILL pretty much the equivalent of free flights for a lifetime, I mean she could be living in the plane if she wished). Congratulations to the first-time Mom and Grandma! This is something you don't get to see everyday. It only happens in movies, and we're lucky to witness this miracle ❤️ ✈️.FULL STORY *I would like to disclose that this might not be the EXACT story because I am a mere bystander. I am also sharing this story purely because I find it very inspiring, but I never intended it to go viral* The lady started having contractions mid-flight, about 5 hours in going to the Philippines. She was set to give birth on October, so this came to a surprise, even to her Mother who picked her up from Dubai. For once in my life, I saw flight attendants, who are meant to always maintain their poise and composure, panic ever so slightly. Flight attendants started calling for medical assistance, and luckily, there were two nurses among the passengers. She was already crowning, so she was brought to the more spacious area in front of the plane. We only heard one semi-loud screech, and a few seconds later, there were tinier, cute screeches, and it was when we knew the baby was born. Luckily, she only had to push ONCE. Moments later, the woman got up to go back to her seat, baby in arms (mighty strong, I might say). There were 2 other babies with us in the front row, and one of the passengers had a suitcase full of infant clothes and necessities, which could not have come at a better time. The flight attendants took a shelf from the cabinets and filled it with mineral water, which became a makeshift wash basin to clean the baby in. It was immediately decided that an emergency landing in India was necessary to ensure the baby's health, as it was born 2 months earlier than expected. We might have misheard the name, but it sounded like the baby would be named "Haven". Flight was delayed once again (what was supposed to be a 9-hour flight became roughly 18 hours), but no complaints.. everyone in that plane was blessed. To the woman, in the hopes she gets to read this: we understand you are resting and giving time to take care of your baby, but we are all hoping for your quick recovery and a lifetime of happiness to your beautiful child! And Mom, this experience made me appreciate you so so so much more than I already do. When my future children ask me what my greatest memory with my mother was, I would tell them of this extraordinary moment we shared. On a side note, for those curious about the child's citizenship: there is an existing rule of when a child is born mid-air, the baby will hold citizenship of the country the plane lands on next. While this rule still applies in USA, it has been revoked in most countries, including the Philippines. Instead, this particular baby's birthplace is India, but she will still carry a Philippine passport (since Cebu Pacific is a Philippine airline). Her time of birth also follows India Standard time. Mom, this is the highlight of our short leisure trip to Dubai, fo sho ?

Cebu Pacific Airlines confirmed the birth of baby Haven in a press release and said both mother and daughter are doing well: "[We] would like to commend our flight and cabin crew for handling the situation with utmost professionalism and efficiency. We also express our sincerest gratitude to the two volunteer nurses who helped ensure the baby's safe delivery," CEB President and CEO​ Lance Gokongwei said. Haven will receive 1 million GetGo points, allowing her and her family to fly free for life. Haven is the first baby to be born on this airline.

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No word on what passengers who are both afraid of pregnancy and flying get yet either, but unlimited gas money for the rest of their lives seems like a good start.

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