Mother credits flight crew, passengers with saving baby's life during seizure

TAMPA, Fla. (FOX 13) - High up in the clouds, a mother had a terrifying experience when her baby had seizure during their flight from Tampa to Dallas.

On April 25, Janay Flowers departed from Tampa International Airport on American Airlines Flight 607 with her 11-month-old daughter, Nevaeh. Ten minutes before landing in Dallas, Nevaeh spiked a fever and had a febrile seizure. Flowers told FOX 13 she didn't know if her daughter would survive.

"I started to freak out," she recalled. "I can't believe this is happening - not my baby. This can't be happening."

Flowers started screaming out for help. That's when several passengers - including a nurse - and flight attendant rushed to help. The nurse, named Tiffany, turned Naveah on her side and pulled her tongue out of her mouth to clear her airway. A second passenger, Alvin, assisted.

"All of these people worked diligently to cool my baby down while she was having a seizure," she wrote in an Instagram post. "One man went to the front of the plane to ensure that the EMS was at the gate as soon as we landed. Another man got an oxygen tank and administered it to Nevaeh. Another man was taking her pulse. As soon as our plane landed, we all rushed to the front of the plane while they grabbed all of my belongings. One man carried my baby, one man kept thumping her foot to make her cry."

Flowers said she felt helpless as she watched but tried to comfort her daughter by singing, "You Are My Sunshine," until they finally landed and paramedics took over. Later, Flowers said she learned Naveah had stopped breathing and had a temperature of 104 degrees. Prior to the incident, she said her baby never had a seizure.

Doctors said Naveah appears to be healthy and there were no underlying issues, Flowers explained.

"I literally don't have the words for all the emotions I was feeling…all of the emotions I am feeling now," she said. "I'm so grateful she is still here. I know it's God that she is still here. He put everybody into place to help me save this baby."

Flowers managed to make contact with Tiffany and Alvin through Facetime, and invited them to attend Naveah's first birthday party next month.