The Heroine Flight Attendant

Flight attendant feeds hungry infant mid-flight after mother runs out of formula


Caitlin O'Kane
CBS NEWS
08 November 2018

A Philippines Airlines flight attendant breastfed a stranger's hungry baby mid-flight. 

Ted Aljibe / AFP/Getty

Flight attendant Patrisha Organo was just doing her job on a Philippine Airlines flight Wednesday when she received another call of duty. Organo, a new mother, switched gears from flight attendant into mom mode when she heard a crying baby mid-flight.

The flight attendant, who has a nearly one-year-old daughter at home, heard an infant fussing after takeoff. It was "a cry that will make you want to do anything to help," she wrote on Facebook. "I approached the mother and asked if everything's okay."

Tearfully, the mother told Organo her baby was hungry but she'd run out of formula. 

"I felt a pinch in my heart. There's no formula milk onboard," Organo wrote. "I thought to myself, there's only one thing I could offer and that's my own milk. And so I offered."

"I saw the relief on her mother's eyes," she wrote. 

Organo posted a photo of herself breastfeeding the hungry baby, and the post has gone viral. 

"I continued to feed the baby until she fell asleep. I escorted her back to her seat and just before I left, the mother sincerely thanked me," the post continued.

Organo said she knew that flight would be memorable for her because it was her first flight in a new position as cabin crew evaluator. But she never imagined it would turn out like this.

"Thank you, Lord for the gift of mother's milk," Organo wrote. 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2359808204033875&set=a.171615022853215&type=3

I BREASTFED A STRANGER’S BABY INFLIGHT

Yesteday, I was scheduled for a check flight to be qualified as a Cabin Crew Evaluator. I thought that this flight’s gonna be so special as this is a big step on my flying career. 

Everything went smoothly until after take off, I heard an infant’s cry, a cry that will make you want to do anything to help. I approached the mother and asked if everything’s okay, I tried to tell her to feed her hungry child. Teary-eyed, she told me that she ran out of formula milk. Passengers started looking and staring at the tiny, fragile crying infant. 

I felt a pinch in my heart. There’s no formula milk onboard. I thought to myself, there’s only one thing I could offer and that’s my own milk. And so I offered. 

Ms. Sheryl Villaflor, Line Administator on my flight, immediately assisted the mother to the galley where I breastfed the baby. The baby started rooting, she was so hungry. 

I saw the relief on her mother’s eyes. I continued to feed the baby until she fell asleep . I escorted her back to her seat and just before I left, the mother sincerely thanked me. 

I was right, the flight’s gonna be special, so special not only because I got qualified as an Evaluator but I got to help. 

I breastfed a stranger’s baby inflight. 

Thank you, Lord for the gift of mother’s milk. 

Patrisha Organo
Flight Attendant/Breastfeeding Advocate

P.S

Edited baby’s picture for her family’s privacy ❤️