American Airlines apologizes for throwing Jordan Flake and his baby with dry skin

Rare Disease Day aims to raise public awareness of the type of genetic skin disease that Jordan Flake shares with his 1-year-old son, Jackson.

Thursday's international ceremony highlighted "orphan diseases", disorders that affect a small percentage of the population.

Although Flake was pleased that her skin condition had attracted attention, she expressed dismay at an incident on a plane.

"I've never been so humiliated in my life," Flake wrote in a Facebook post, claiming that American Airlines was discriminating against him and his child by removing them from a police station. Texas flight to South Carolina. American Airlines said it was investigating the incident and apologized.

Flake could not be reached immediately for a comment.

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After spending time with her husband before her deployment, Flake and her son started their return trip to Colombia – checking their luggage, passing the security and settling in their place in the plane, she written on Facebook and LoveWhatMatters.com.

"We took our flight where everyone smiled and talked to Jackson," she said in her blog.

This changed as the aircraft prepared for takeoff.

Flake wrote on Facebook that an American Airlines employee had asked the men sitting in the adjacent seats to get up, then "asked me quietly about" my rash "and if I had a letter from a doctor stating that it was acceptable for me to steal.

"I explained to him that he was calling ichthyosis and that it was a genetic skin problem."

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, ichthyosis is a skin disease that can be inherited or develop from a genetic mutation and that causes extremely dry, thick and flaky skin. The skin often looks like fish scales. "Ichthyosis is not contagious.

Flake said the airline employee had searched on Google and returned to the crew, near the jet bridge, where they had had a brief chat.

"He came back and said that he had apologized, but we" would not be able to fly "and we" had to get off the plane, "Flake said, adding that Employee, called by the surveillance team, was "very helpful and crazy about the situation."

Even with her help, Flake was not able to retrieve her checked baggage, she said, and her son and she had to stay in a hotel overnight.

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American Airlines said its goal was to create a "welcoming environment" for its customers.

"We sincerely apologize to Mrs. Flake and her son for the experience they experienced on Thursday, and our team opened an investigation into the case," said the airline in a statement. statement released Saturday at the Washington Post.

After the incident, Flake wrote on LoveWhatMatters.com that she "had never felt more conscious and embarrassed about my skin or the illness I shared with my son".

"I should never be ashamed of my way of being born," she continued. "It was unacceptable and unjustified. I have never been asked to show a letter. A doctor never told me that I needed to have documentation stating that I was not contagious, or anything that they supposed. In 2019, it is time to stop discriminating. Ask questions and listen.

"If something comes out, I hope anyone who puts it into action will realize that it was bad and bad and that it will think twice next time." If I do not judge people based on their gender, skin color, or relationship status, then I should not be judged on the basis of my birth. "

Lindsey Bever contributed to this report.

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