Of all the heartbreaking images from Kabul over the last few days, there have also emerged moments of great heroism, especially from the members of the U.S. military. The C-17 cargo jet that transported what we now know to be more than 800 Afghans to safety is one such indelible image.
Now here’s another one.
A woman being evacuated from Kabul gave birth aboard a US military aircraft. The pilot had to decrease altitude to increase air pressure onboard, as there were complications. Mother and baby both in good condition now.
A child born on the runhttps://t.co/PB7VfOloia
— Sulaiman Hakemy (@SulaimanHakemy) August 22, 2021
On Saturday, a baby girl was born after her pregnant mother boarded an evacuation flight out of Kabul, bound for Germany’s Rammstein Air Force, according to Reuters. The mother went into labor when the flight got in the air.
The U.S. Air Force’s Air Mobility Command tweeted that the mother began experiencing complications, and the pilot of the massive cargo jet, which is normally used to transport heavy military equipment, made a quick decision that very likely proved life-saving. Here’s what the official USAF Mobility Command twitter account reported:
“The aircraft commander decided to descend in altitude to increase air pressure in the aircraft, which helped stabilize and save the mother’s life.”
Once on the ground, a team of medics from the 86th Medical Group quickly boarded the plane and delivered the baby in the plane’s cargo bay. The Mother and the baby were brought to a nearby medical facility and are said to be in good condition.
The Air Force tweeted out photos of the woman and her family being safely escorted off the plane.
Medical support personnel from the 86th Medical Group help an Afghan mother and family off a U.S. Air Force C-17, call sign Reach 828, moments after she delivered a child aboard the aircraft upon landing at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Aug. 21. (cont..) pic.twitter.com/wqR9dFlW1o
— Air Mobility Command (@AirMobilityCmd) August 21, 2021