A MUM flying home for Thanksgiving was given the best surprise present possible – the surprise early arrival of her new baby girl.
Nereida Araujo gave birth to her third child just minutes after landing at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
The heavily pregnant mum was travelling with her husband and two kids on Wednesday when the surprise birth happened.
The family were flying from Tampa in Florida to Pennsylvania for Thanksgiving, and had planned to have just a 20 minute layover in Charlotte, North Carolina.
But during the flight, Nereida, who was 38 weeks pregnant, felt a “pop” in her lower back and realised that her waters had broken.
The mum-of-two told WSOCTV that although she was close to term – just 11 days to her due date – she had been cleared to fly by her doctor.
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Fortunately, a passenger on board the American Airlines flight was able to help out on board.
And when the flight landed in Charlotte, Nereida was met by medics, with the baby arriving in just minutes at the airport.
Nereida explained how it all happened “so fast”.
The mum and baby were taken to the hospital after the birth, where they’ve been in recovery since.
The family are now planning to travel on to Pennsylvania to see family with their new arrival, who they’ve named Lizyana Sky Taylor, when they are discharged from the hospital on Friday.
Several mums have given birth on flights in the past, including one where the cabin crew helped to deliver the baby.
In one case, a flight from Saudi Arabia to New York had to make an emergency landing in London after a woman gave birth on board.
But not all births are as smooth – one baby had to be resuscitated twice after it came weeks early during a flight.