Woman Says Fellow Passengers Saved Her Life After She Collapsed on a Flight
An American Airlines flight had to make an emergency landing after a woman nearly died when suffering from a severe allergic reaction.
The incident occurred on AA Flight 5471 from Philadelphia (PHL) to Cleveland (CLE) on Saturday afternoon. Soon after the Bombardier CRJ 700 took off Ashley Spencer, 28, wasn't feeling well.
She told her mother, who she was traveling with, that she needed to go to the restroom to possibly throw up. The pair was traveling in first class, and Spencer had to use the restroom in the rear of plane because there aren't any in the first class cabin. She vomited but still felt her throat closing up. She opened the bathroom door and fell out onto the floor.
Spencer was going into anaphylactic shock after experiencing an allergic reaction from a bag of chips she had eaten right before the flight. She has a peanut allergy and the chips may have contained nuts, Spencer told TPG. She purchased the chips from a popular Hudson-branded store right before her flight to avoid exactly what happened, she wanted to make sure she was eating something that wouldn't set off a reaction.
"I would never eat on the airplane to risk what happened," she said. Spencer said the gluten free/vegan chips label was free of any mention of nuts.
Fortunately for Spencer, there were two doctors onboard. Dr. Erich Kiehl, an electrophysiology fellow from the Cleveland Clinic and another MD from North Carolina, who was seated near the bathroom when Spencer fell down. The doctor from North Carolina sprang into action immediately, and a flight attendant put out the call asking if there were any medical professionals onboard — alerting Dr. Kiehl.
"I had stopped breathing, but still had a pulse," Spencer said.
The doctors administered two doses from an EpiPen, a device that contains adrenaline to combat the symptoms of an anaphylactic shock, which was enough to make Spencer alert and tell the doctors she was having an allergic reaction. In total she received four shots from the epi-pen.
Spencer also suffers from a rare autoimmune disease called eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) — meaning Spencer has had heart troubles, making the incident even more scary.
"Dr. Kiehl took the bull by the horns," she said. He warned the flight attendants that "this is going to go bad real fast because of her condition." These words led the pilots to make the decision to make an emergency diversion to Pittsburgh (PIT) — where the aircraft landed at 2:36pm.
The flight attendants kept her in the back of the aircraft instead of moving her back to first class. Spencer says that Dr. Kiehl was actually trying to administer her an IV while the aircraft was landing because of the seriousness of the situation.
"I wouldn't wish [the situation] on my worst enemy," Spencer said.
When asked if she thinks the doctors saved her life, Spencer responded with "Absolutely, there's not a question in my mind."
"The American Airlines stewardess were fantastic — [they] remained calm the entire time and made sure no videos were taken," she said.
After landing, Spencer was taken to the emergency room where she was treated and eventually recovered from her reaction. The aircraft departed at 3:46pm for Cleveland after Spencer had been safely removed.
Spencer headed to Cleveland the next day, although she and her mother rented a car instead of flying to their final destination.
Oddly enough, the reason Spencer was in Cleveland was for medical tests at the Cleveland Clinic, where Dr. Kiehl works. She plans on meeting with him on Wednesday to thank him for his efforts.
"It's going to be very emotional," she said, adding that he was very humble when she messaged him and that he felt like he was just doing his job.
American Airlines provided TPG with the following statement regarding the incident:
"We appreciate the assistance of the two doctors, including Dr. Kiehl, who assisted our crew members in caring for Ms. Spencer. Our customer relations team will be reaching out to both doctors to offer our thanks and appreciation for their assistance on American Eagle flight 5471. We wish Ms. Spencer a speedy recovery."
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits.Pros
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- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
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- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits.Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.