AN AirAsia flight (AK115) from Guangzhou to Kuala Lumpur on July 4 will remain an unforgettable moment for Jacyntha Florentius and her family.
In a Facebook post, Jacyntha expressed her gratitude and appreciation to the AirAsia crew on duty for their swift action when her daughter, Natashya Sofea, who is just a year and seven months old, suddenly experienced shortness of breath while 30,000 feet in the air.
According to her post, when the plane took off at 5:55 am, Tashya was sound asleep. However, half an hour later, she woke up and started breastfeeding for a while before becoming restless - crying one moment, quiet the next.
"Suddenly, her face and lips turned pale, and she looked like she was struggling to breathe, weak, and not very responsive," she said.
A mother’s instinct made Jacyntha immediately try to calm her child by patting her back and rubbing her hands. However, Tashya’s condition became increasingly worrying.
The cabin crew, who realised the emergency, immediately gave Tashya oxygen.
Slowly, her lips returned to their reddish colour.
"Then the cabin crew made an announcement to ask if there was a doctor onboard. Luckily there was one - she was very kind and checked Tashya right away.
"The crew also spoke with the pilot to ask if the altitude could be lowered a little, and the pilot acted swiftly," said Jacyntha.
Soon after, she said Tashya looked stable.
The pilot then made an announcement that the flight would be diverted to the nearest airport, which was Ho Chi Minh, to get medical attention.
"During the 30-minute descent, the crew kept coming to check on Tashya, massaging her hands and feet, and checking her pulse.
"They were so caring. As soon as we landed in Ho Chi Minh, a medical team was already on standby. They boarded the plane to assess Tashya and decided we should disembark for further checks," she said.
She, along with her husband and Tashya left the plane and were escorted by ground staff straight to an ambulance. The luggage was offloaded quickly too.
At the hospital, she said, AirAsia staff Alan Vuu stayed with them the whole time.
Tashya received fast-track treatment - no waiting at all. Within an hour, all tests including ECG, echocardiogram, and X-ray were done.
"They also provided a free flight for us to return to Kuala Lumpur. Ho Chi Minh ground staff was so helpful. They assisted us until we boarded.
"Please reward your staff as they did a very good job handling this situation," added Jacyntha.
Jacyntha also named all the ‘sky heroes’ involved in assisting Tashya. There are:
- Captain Sangeran Surrendran
- SFO Muhammad Syafiq Nor’en
- SCC Mohd Ridzwan Ong
- CC Stephanie Unyang Dungo
- CC Nurul Nasuha Mohd Maznan
- CC Amirul Ariffin Junaidi
- Alan Vuu (staff in Ho Chi Minh) - July 8, 2025
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