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Bradenton mom who went into labor on plane during Thanksgiving arrives home with newborn

Posted at 7:17 PM, Dec 03, 2019
and last updated 2019-12-04 00:11:29-05

BRADENTON, Fla. -- A Bradenton mother and her baby are finally back home after the mom went into labor on an airplane heading to Charlotte.

On the day before Thanksgiving, Bradenton mother Nereida Araujo and her family were flying from Tampa to Pennsylvania to visit her husband's grandmother who has stage four cancer.

"She was like, 'this could be my last Thanksgiving dinner,'" said Araujo.

Araujo was 38 weeks pregnant. She said she spoke with her doctor and the airline before flying, and got the all-clear to go.

She said everything was going smooth until about 20 minutes before they landed for their layover in Charlotte.

"I felt like a little pop in my lower back," said Araujo.

That pop was her water breaking. She said a woman with medical experience rushed to her side.

"She was like, the contractions are jumping," said Araujo.

They landed in Charlotte and EMTs hurried onto the plane.

"I was like 'She is coming.' They were like, 'No, hold it' and I was like 'Ain't no way!'" said Araujo.

They barely made it out of the airplane door before Lizyana “Sky” Taylor entered the world on the jet bridge of Gate B-12.

"It was one hell of an experience," said Araujo.

Little Lizyana got to spend Thanksgiving with her great grandmother and received a welcome gift from American Airlines.

And now she's has an amazing story to tell when she grows up.

"She made an incredible entrance. I know that for sure," said Araujo.