Baby Jet 'doing very well,' family says

Boy born during flight receiving care in South Carolina

TITUSVILLE, Fla. – The aunt of a premature baby born during a Southwest Airlines flight to Orlando earlier this week says her nephew is "doing very well."

"He's just so tiny," Lisa Barber said.

Barber tells News 6 she visited her nephew for the first time Saturday.

Jet arrived Dec. 4 during a Southwest Airlines flight, about 30,000 feet in the air. A Palm Bay doctor teamed up with an emergency room doctor and an Orlando nurse to help with the special delivery.

Barber said doctors removed Jet's chest tube and they are hopeful he will start to gain weight.

She added that the parents are overwhelmed with how much love and prayer they have received as a result of the national attention.

"They're just so grateful for everyone that rallied around them and is supporting them and that helps a lot," Barber said.

Jet's doctor, Dr. Rita Ryan, with the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, says the organs of premature babies are immature. She says Jet is having some lung problems, but she is hopeful he will recover.

"And at some point, probably in the next few months, we're going to try to get him back closer to home so mom and dad can get their lives back in order," Dr. Ryan said.

To help Jet's parents, Barber started a GoFundMe page to cover the growing medical costs and help raise awareness.

She said Jet's mother, a nurse at Parrish Medical Center, and his father, a mechanic, are amazed by all of the support, and added that everyone is rooting for Baby Jet to get better.

"We're just excited to see where his future takes him and watching him grow," Barber said.


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