A woman on a recent flight boarded the plane childless and exited a mother. She did not even know she was pregnant at the time, so it came as a total surprise.
On Wednesday, December 7, 2022, Tamara boarded a KLM Royal Dutch flight in Guyaquil, Ecuador, with a layover in Amsterdam with plans to continue on to Spain. During the flight, she experienced some stomach pains and went to the bathroom. Turns out those stomach pains were actually the beginning of labor.
Tamara gave birth in the bathroom. She quickly alerted flight attendants to her situation. Thankfully medical professionals were also on board the plane.
Two doctors and a nurse from Austria helped Tamara after her delivery. It was lucky they were there. A spokesperson for the airline expressed gratitude, saying, “We are very grateful to them.”
The plane landed in Amsterdam on Thursday at 12:55 p.m. local time. Tamara and baby were immediately taken to Spaarne Gasthuis Haarlem Zuid Hospital via ambulance to get checked out. The good news is that everyone is healthy and happy, if not just a little bit surprised.
A spokesperson for the hospital summarized what happened on board the flight. “A few hours before landing in the Netherlands, her stomach hurt and she decided to go to the toilet. To her great surprise, after two contractions, she suddenly had a baby in her hands. Tamara had no idea she was pregnant and was quite taken aback by the event,” the spokesperson said.
Tamara decided to name her baby boy Maximiliano after one of medical professionals on board who helped her. This is a touching tribute to the kindness of strangers in unexpected situations. A spokesperson for the airline also confirmed that Maximiliano and Tamara are “doing well.”
The Spaarne Gasthuis Haarlem Zuid Hospital also agrees with the airline's assessment. “Both Tamara and Maximiliano were fortunately in good health,” the hospital stated. This is great news.
The hospital went on to say, “The team in the birthing department did everything possible to ensure that both received proper care and were on their way for the necessary paperwork for Maximiliano. As soon as possible, Tamara and Maximiliano will travel on to Madrid. The Spaarne Gasthuis wishes them well!”
Maximiliano's birth on the plane might lead one to ponder what citizenship he would be granted based on the unusual location where the birth took place. This is a complex question whose answer varies depending on many factors. These include where the plane was at the time of the birth, where the plane is registered, and the nationality of his parents.
"If you are born over the United States, in a foreign plane with foreign parents, you can still claim U.S. citizenship," states Unruly Places author Alastair Bonnett. His novel deals with the complex theme of place. “Babies born on planes will sometimes be citizens of the country where the plane is registered and sometimes take their parents' citizenship,” he explains.
Regardless of Maximiliano’s complex citizenship question, all that really matters is that the baby and mother are healthy and happy.
