SQ Passenger Fell Ill & Needed Medical Attention While Flying Home For Brother’s Funeral, Thanks Airline For Moving Her To Biz Class

During times of grief, even the smallest act of kindness can help make difficult moments a little easier to bear.

Mai Chau, a woman from Vietnam, recently took to Facebook to pen an open letter titled “A Letter of Deepest Gratitude to Singapore Airlines”, recounting how the airline showed her kindness and warmth when she needed it most.

Last month, Mai Chau, whose profile states she is based in Perth, received the heartbreaking news that her younger brother had passed away. She had to rush back to Ho Chi Minh City to attend his funeral.

"Singapore Airlines had the earliest arrival into Saigon, and without hesitation, I booked the ticket. In one of the most painful moments of my life, all I wanted was to return home as quickly as possible," she penned. 

However, she began to feel ill "about an hour into the flight" due to the change in cabin pressure. She felt nauseous and short of breath, but being seated in window seat 61A, initially hesitated to inconvenience the passengers beside her. 

She soon realised she could no longer bear it and told the person next to her that she was feeling unwell and needed to get up.

"As soon as I stood up, I collapsed into seat 61C because I could barely breathe. I tried to walk toward the back of the aircraft, but I fell into the arms of the flight attendants. Immediately, they supported me and rushed to bring oxygen so I could breathe. At the same time, as I struggled with both breathlessness and nausea, they quickly provided an airsickness bag and reassured me with calm, steady voices," she recalled. 

The cabin crew then made an urgent announcement seeking a doctor on board, with Mai Chau saying that she was living in a scene she had only ever seen in movies. The crew consulted the captain about the possibility of turning the flight back to Australia if medical assistance was unavailable. They also asked about her medical history.

Thankfully, there was a doctor on board. Mai Chau was found to have a blood pressure reading below 100, but after her condition stabilised, the cabin crew moved her to a business class seat so she could recline and rest properly.

"For the remainder of the flight, they checked on me constantly and cared for me with extraordinary attentiveness and compassion. I was not treated as just another passenger — I was treated like family," she added. 

Shortly before landing, a flight attendant discreetly gave Mai Chau an envelope with S$200 to see a doctor and make sure she was well enough to continue her journey home.

She wrote: "I was overwhelmed. I broke down in tears, unable to find words to express what I felt. [The flight stewardess] and the entire crew encouraged me to stay strong during this devastating time."

"In the middle of grief and physical distress, I was met with humanity, kindness, and professionalism beyond anything I could have imagined. The crew, along with the doctor and medical professionals who stepped forward to help me, made a life-changing difference in my journey home," she continued. 

Mai Chau made the post to express her appreciation, and to share about the compassion she received from the airline, its cabin crew, and the medical professionals during what was an incredibly difficult journey.

"Their actions went far beyond duty — they showed true humanity at 30,000 feet. Please accept my most sincere and heartfelt gratitude. I will never forget what you did for me," she wrote. 

Her later posts show that she was able to safely reach home to attend her brother's funeral. 

Mai Chau’s post has since been shared over 1.2K times on Facebook, attracting an outpouring of well-wishes from netizens, many of whom also praised the airline for their heartwarming gesture. 

As one netizen penned: "So sorry for your loss and God bless you were in good hands take care. Hooray for SQ."