Man, 68, left stranded after airline allegedly refused him a flight because of Parkinson’s: ‘I felt so humiliated’

need to know

• British journalist Mark Mardell has reportedly been turned away from a Turkish Airlines flight due to Parkinson’s disease.

• “It’s a horrible feeling that you’re so vulnerable, I almost burst into tears five times,” said the former BBC presenter.

• The 68-year-old also alleged that he was left stranded at the airport for seven hours before he finally booked a flight home via another airline the next day.

A British journalist was stranded at the airport for seven hours after returning from a Turkish Airlines flight due to Parkinson’s disease.

Returning to London from Istanbul after a week-long road trip with his son, Mark Mardell, 68, said he was barred from boarding the flight without a letter from his GP saying he was fit to travel.

“I feel humiliated,” the former BBC presenter and chief political correspondent recently said. The Sunday Times. “It’s a horrible feeling that you’re so weak. I cried about five times.”

People reached out to Turkish Airlines for comment on Sunday, November 30, but did not receive an immediate response.

Parkinson’s disease is a movement disorder of the nervous system that worsens over time, according to the Mayo Clinic. Symptoms include tremors, slow movement, poor posture and balance, loss of automatic movements, speech changes, and non-motor symptoms such as depression and anxiety.

While Mardel traveled to Istanbul on October 20 without incident and without requesting a doctor’s letter, he ran into an unexpected obstacle when he requested boarding assistance during the journey home.

“It’s hard to even admit to yourself that you’re disabled,” he told the outlet. “It’s a very good thing for me to say: ‘I need boarding assistance, I’m disabled’ … you know it lowers you in some people’s estimation, lowers you in their eyes.”

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“We thought they meant your doctor’s letter to prove you had Parkinson’s,” he continued. “No, it turns out there’s no harm in flying if you can’t fly without your doctor’s letter.”

A short time later, Mardell asked his son Jake, 32, to board his flight while he waited for more help. And during the seven hours he waited alone at one of the world’s largest airports, Mardell experienced one woman in particular that was humiliating.

“There was a woman who was really horrible,” he alleged. “She said, ‘No he’s got Parkinson’s, you’re not going to let him on board.’ She became fearful of other passengers in wheelchairs and yelled at them.

“She said, ‘Look at you, your hands are shaking,'” he continued. “My hands don’t shake. It’s not one of my symptoms. But maybe they were because I was nervous and upset. It was very bad. She said: ‘It’s for yourself.’ So my bag was removed from the flight.”

Eventually, another passenger helped Mardell unpack his bag and his son booked him a hotel for the night. The next day, he booked a return flight home with Wizz Air and returned to the UK on October 26.

After he contacted Turkish Airlines about the experience, an employee reportedly wished him a “speedy recovery”, even though Parkinson’s is an incurable disease, and issued him a full refund for the missed flight.

“You’re feeling unsafe anyway and you’re wondering around … and I can’t walk anymore. I just want to sit,” Mardell said of the hours he spent waiting at the airport. “The strange thing was that they say it’s for your own good and then they let you walk around the airport.”

Although Mardale’s flight was operated by a “non-UK/EU carrier”, the UK Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement, “We strongly believe that everyone should have access to air travel and understand how important it is for people to feel supported and included when they fly.”

Read the original article on People