Overview
- A pregnant passenger on El Al flight LY25 began contracting midflight and an onboard Hatzolah volunteer used the plane’s Wi‑Fi to consult an off‑site obstetrician who recommended an emergency landing.
- The pilot diverted the aircraft to Rome, where an ambulance and medical team were waiting and the mother delivered a healthy baby girl about two hours after landing.
- Rome’s Chabad di Monteverde and the local Jewish community provided immediate help with lodging, clothing and transport while the parents handled medical care.
- Family members from New Jersey are traveling to Rome to support the new parents and to manage the medical paperwork and documentation needed to return the newborn to the United States.
- The case shows how volunteer responders and remote medical consultation can shape time‑critical diversion decisions on long flights and highlights the paperwork hurdles families face when a child is born abroad.