CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Eight-year-old Elliot Parker had her dream come true when the Make-A-Wish Foundation sent the second grader and her family to California to see Universal Studios and Mario World.
"She was very excited to sightsee and to be on a big airplane," Elliot's mom Caitlin Parker said.
But getting on the airplane is not easy since she uses a 380-pound motorized wheelchair.
"It is incredibly difficult," Caitlin said. "We have not traveled since she was three."
Caitlin says she did everything she could to make sure Elliot, and the chair, arrived safely, meeting with the airline, bubble wrapping the chair and even attaching instructions.
The family made it to Los Angeles but when they landed back home in Charlotte and got off the plane, the $60,000 chair was badly damaged.
"There were pieces hanging off of it and a few that were tucked inside the bubble wrap and these are pieces that should never be detached from the chair," Caitlin said. "I was pretty angry."
She says the chair was not functional.
"It didn’t have the parts on it to keep her safe, the armrests were dangling, the battery pack was broken off, and I didn’t feel safe putting her in. I knew that the chair had taken a significant hit or drag or fall," Caitlin said.
When she asked the airline representative what happened, she was told they didn't know.
"I was told 'We didn’t touch it' ... Right. Who touched it then? ... We were directed to baggage claim, handed a form to fill out and then they told us goodbye," Caitlin said.
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A technician came out to help the family use the chair temporarily and Parker says the airline has since apologized.
When we reached out to American Airlines a spokesperson told us, “We know how important it is to support the independence of customers with disabilities, and we have reached out to apologize for their experience. We are committed to working with the family and our partners to replace the device.”
Parker said she hopes this can be a learning experience for all involved about handling vital equipment for people with disabilities.
"Individuals who care for disabled people and disabled persons themselves are really the only people who can truly understand how much that takes from a person and how debilitating that can be and what Freedom is taken from you in that moment. "
Parker said airline travel in general can be very difficult for people with disabilities. She’s hoping airlines or the federal government will consider new policies and procedures in the near future.
Contact Michelle Boudin at mboudin@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.