Delta Air Lines has been met with backlash after a video surfaced online showing a female passenger crying after her wheelchair was damaged in transit.
Per The Independent, disability advocate and model Bri Scalesse took to social media on Friday. May 21, to share a video of her friend sobbing following their Delta flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and Phoenix, Arizona.
Scalesse captioned the clip: "Today my heart broke watching my best friend sob because Delta broke her wheelchair. She kept repeating, 'This is my life. This is the only way I can live my life.'"
You can see the now-viral TikTok video below:Scalesse's caption adds that issues like this happen "so often" and that she's tired of watching "her community suffer".
The video - which has amassed over 14 million views - shows Scalesse's friend, Geeg DeFiebre, visibly in tears after discovering her wheelchair had been damaged during their flight.
DeFiebre can be seen attempting to explain to staff that her wheelchair had been "made for her", as employees prepare to move her over into another chair.
Speaking to the Daily Dot, DeFiebre later revealed: "My wheel was warped and mangled when I exited the plane in Phoenix."
She added: "As soon as I sat down in my chair and saw my wheels, I realized that something was wrong.
"The wheel was so warped that it was impossible to push because it would dig into the side of my leg instead of rolling straight."
In response to the video, many social media users called out Delta Air Lines, calling the situation "unacceptable" and demanding that it covers any damages:
In a statement to The Independent, a spokesperson from Delta said: "We’re so sorry that her wheelchair was damaged and have been in touch with her directly to make this right, including support to make repairs to her device.
"We know our customers with disabilities rely on Delta for their travel needs, and we fell short here. We’re conducting a full investigation of what happened, because we must be better."
Replying to a comment on her video, Scalesse revealed that Delta has offered to pay for replacement wheels - but as of three days ago, they had not yet been ordered.
