In a tragic medical emergency, a two-month-old Saudi baby died mid-flight from Malaysia to Australia.
Nadia Parenzee, a former nurse who was aboard the AirAsia flight D7236, took to Facebook to share the details of the incident. According to the Australian national, the newborn daughter of a Saudi couple, named Farah, passed away in her arms on Monday morning.
According to The Independent, a Western Australia police spokesperson said officers were investigating the death, noting that there is no evidence to raise suspicion.
Describing the incident as "the most confronting situation one could possibly go through," Parenzee said the Saudi couple was moving to Australia, where Farah's father was pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree.
The former nurse said the baby "was really restless and cried continuously" since takeoff, prompting her to offer her assistance to the struggling parents.
"I took the baby straight away and I could see that she was grey in color and she was struggling to breathe," she recalled, adding that she recited the Quranic Surat Al-Fatiha in attempt to soothe the baby.
She went on to say, "Then, baby Farah took her last breath and went limp. I immediately knew something was horribly wrong and shouted out to the passengers to see if there were any doctors on board."
Doctors traveling on the plane performed CPR on the infant for two hours, to no avail. The cause of death remains unclear.
Speaking to The West Australian, Parenzee described how Farah's parents reacted to the dreadful news, saying, "[Her father] lost it. He fell on the floor on his knees, crying. They were just distraught and so, so heartbroken."
AirAsia has confirmed there was a medical emergency involving an infant on board the flight in question, refusing to elaborate on the details of the incident.
According to The Guardian, an AirAsia spokesman said the plane was met by police and paramedics upon arrival at Perth Airport on Monday morning.
"The safety and wellbeing of our guests is always our number one priority, and in accordance with procedure, the flight crew requested medical assistance on landing," he said. "Our thoughts are with the infant and family involved."
Perenzee spoke highly of how the Malaysian airline handled the emergency, writing, "To the unbelievable staff of AirAsia, you were amazing and I commend your professionalism."
"My heart is numb and I don't know how to feel but I am honestly honored to have held her and read a prayer on her before she passed," wrote Parenzee.