Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Disabled Model Heartbroken And Furious After Delta Airlines Breaks Her Wheelchair Beyond Repair

Disabled Model Heartbroken And Furious After Delta Airlines Breaks Her Wheelchair Beyond Repair
@briscaleese/TikTok

Disability advocate and fashion model Bri Scaleese said she lost her independence after Delta Airlines broke the frame of her wheelchair six weeks after her best friend lost hers by the same airline.

In a viral TikTok video, Scaleese said on the verge of tears:


"When I spoke to the representative from the wheelchair repair company, they said, 'You know this will take a really long time to replace.'"

Because airline protocols do not allow disabled passengers to sit in or with their wheelchairs during flights, the airlines themselves transport the wheelchairs.

Too frequently, the wheelchairs—which many owners are completely dependent on and are considered their lifeline—are returned in an irreparable state due to negligence.

Scaleese added:

"So, today my freedom and independence was taken away. I don't know how I'm gonna live my life."
@briscalesse

@delta today I’m losing my independence only 6 weeks after my best friend lost hers. How. How. How.

People expressed their outrage over the Delta's mishandling of her wheelchair.

@briscaleese/TikTok


@briscaleese/TikTok

Delta was tagged in the comments by people demanding the airline do better.

@briscaleese/TikTok


@briscaleese/TikTok


@briscaleese/TikTok


@briscaleese/TikTok


@briscaleese/TikTok


@briscaleese/TikTok

In May, Scaleese shared a video showing her disabled friend, Gabrielle DeFiebre, in tears after the same airline irreparably damaged her power wheelchair.

"Today my heart broke watching my best friend sob because Delta broke her wheelchair," Scaleese wrote in the caption.

Many wheelchair users have custom wheelchairs built to their needs, specific disabilities, and personal preferences. Replacing one is not a quick process, as some custom wheelchairs can take weeks or months to build.

As a Delta crew member inaudibly explained something to DeFiebre during disembarking, the disheartened passenger was heard in the video sobbing:

"This is my life. This is the only way I can live my life."

The mishandling of wheelchairs by airline employees has been an increasingly problematic issue.

The Washington Post reported that an estimated 15,000 wheelchairs have been damaged or misplaced since 2018 – which averages to 29 lost or broken wheelchairs a day.

Scaleese later took to her Instagram story and revealed the consequences of damage done to the wheelchair's frame.

A short clip showed the second guiding wheel appeared to have been knocked out of alignment, preventing it from having any contact with the ground.

@briscaleese/Instagram


@briscaleese/Instagram

Scaleese said in her IG story she will be given a replica of the wheelchair she has been using and Delta Airlines will be covering the cost of the replacement.

"This should never happen to any of us," she said, adding the damaging of wheelchairs by airlines is a "systemic issue" that needs to change.

"I don't want to be afraid to travel."

More from Trending

Donald Trump
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Trump Blasted For Announcing New Additions To The White House Lawn As Global Tensions Escalate

President Donald Trump was criticized after announcing that two new flagpoles would be added to the North and South Lawns of the White House—not the greatest look amid heightened global unease as tensions between Israel and Iran ramp up.

According to the Associated Press, Trump watched as a crane installed the newest flagpole on the South Lawn, remarking, “It’s such a beautiful pole.” He later returned to the site to salute as the American flag was raised for the first time.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Donald Trump from CNN supercut
CNN

Trump Mocked For 'Two Weeks' Iran Deadline With Supercut Of All His 'Two Weeks' Promises

President Donald Trump has a history of promising to resolve problems within "two weeks," and a new viral supercut mocks him for all the times he's said as much—including right now with tensions in the Middle East higher than ever.

Trump said Thursday he will decide within two weeks whether to involve U.S. forces directly in the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, citing what he called a “substantial chance” for renewed nuclear negotiations with Tehran.

Keep ReadingShow less
red flag with pole on seashore
Seoyeon Choi on Unsplash

People Break Down The 'Silent Red Flags' Folks Tend To Ignore In Relationships

A red flag has come to mean any warning sign in life, in addition to the literal red flags that are placed on beaches or industrial sites to warn people of danger.

People will respond to situations by saying, "That’s a red flag." But before that language evolved, they'd just call them "warning signs."

Keep ReadingShow less
Ted Cruz; Tucker Carlson
The Tucker Carlson Show

Tucker Carlson And Ted Cruz Get Into Shouting Match Over Iran In Bonkers Interview Clip

Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz—a harsh Donald Trump critic-turned-MAGA minion—sat down with fired Fox News personality Tucker Carlson for the conservative influencer's self-produced online content,The Tucker Carlson Show, for the Tucker Carlson Network.

On Tuesday, Carlson shared a 1.5-minute clip revealing that things got contentious when the pair touched on the Trump administration's escalating tensions with Iran.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump; Barack Obama
Suzanne Plunkett-Pool/Getty Images; Scott Olson/Getty Images

Resurfaced Trump Tweet Criticizing Obama Over Iran Comes Back To Bite Him

Amid tensions with Iran, President Donald Trump was criticized for hypocrisy after social media users resurfaced a 2013 tweet in which he accused former President Barack Obama of planning an attack on Iran because of his "inability to negotiate properly."

Trump has declined to clarify whether the U.S. is edging closer to launching strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, following a warning from Iran’s supreme leader against any attack and a rejection of Trump’s demand for surrender.

Keep ReadingShow less