How to Sit in an Airline Seat

​Monday, I needed to solve the problem of how Julius could sit in an airline seat when he has no balance or trunk-coordination. I called the airline. Could it be that after all these years, they have come up with an adapted seat insert of some sort for people unable to sit in an airline seat? Surely, the cost to design a portable adult "car" seat for the airline is pennies relative to building an entire plane. Sadly, no. Nothing has changed and it's up to me to dissolve this barrier.
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I remembered what I did when Julius was a child, walking the isles of an REI sports store looking for something that would work so we could travel without having to carry an additional large special needs car-seat. I found a yellow lifejacket for a small dog. I turned it around in my hands evaluating. If I cut this off here, and turned it in a different direction, then added straps……would it work? I took my idea to the wheelchair team at Shriners Hospital in Salt Lake City, where we lived at the time. They had an industrial sewing machine and regularly made adaptations for the wheelchairs of kiddos like my Julius. Ken, the founder of the wheelchair program, knew us well and had a soft spot for Julius (Well, he likely had a soft spot for all the kids, but had the talent of making each of us feel like his favorite.) I held up the small, doggie jacket and described my design idea to him. “Hmmmm…” he said, “so which way does it face?” I showed him again so he could form the new picture of it as a chest harness for an airline seat, in his mind. “Ahhh, YES! " he said with excitement, "That could just work!!” Ken cut, sewed, covered what was not to be used and I painted nail polish on the new clips to colour code how the vest would strap into the airline seat as quickly so we would not hold up other passengers. It worked perfectly, supporting Julius upright and safe in the airline seat. It was so good, we also used it in a canoe on calm waters with Julius strapped to ME, a favourite memory, before he got his tracheostomy. So, I decided I would just have to make another one like that, except it would be much larger. But, a lot of years have passed and the designs of doggie lifejackets have changed to a point where I could not alter any of them. So, I turned to e-bay, searching for the exact model in a large size and was able to find just one. I was also yellow. I ordered it immediately and purchased the strapping material and clips on Amazon. Then, I set my treasures aside while I worked on other pressing items for the trip…..until this past Monday.

I took my precious sack of goods to an auto upholstery shop in Montclair that had four stars. I did not call first. They would not understand what was needed without being able to show them and would they even be willing to redirect their attention from their other high paying work for this simple mom’s project? Surely, being there in person and talking to them face to face would be better than a faceless voice over the phone. My daughter and I walked into the large workshop nervously. Julius was at home with his nurse. We were greeted with kind curiosity. I pulled out the little yellow harness I made twenty years ago and explained what it was and then I pulled out the large doggie lifejacket that matched the small jacket. “I need you to make this large one exactly like the small one so that my son, who is disabled, can sit in an airline seat so we can travel to Mexico City to get special medical treatment.” The co-owner, Lupillo did not hesitate in his willingness. It was a n assignment that would take just minutes. We agreed on $40. Lupillo passed the job onto his son asking him to copy the small harness exactly using the large vest as the model. Since they did not take credit cards I had to leave to get cash. My daughter and I thanked our angles and guides then returned quickly. Lupillo approached us with great concern, saying they had a problem. His son, misunderstood the instructions and sliced the large doggie life jacket down to match the size of the smaller one EXACTLY. Our treasure was in pieces and ruined. My whole body started shaking. “I’m so sorry,” said Jr. “We’ll get another one,” said Lupillo. “We’ll call pet shops.” “You don’t understand,” I quivered, “they don’t make them this way anymore. I’ve tried. I’ve looked. I found this one on ebay. It was the only one I could find.” Our sadness was shared. All four of us felt the same disappointment. I felt my stomach churn. “Okay” said Lupillo, “Then, we’ll just make you another one from scratch.” “But that will take so long,” I said. "Let’s check ebay again." Lupillo’s son pulled out his phone and started searching ebay. All he could find was a size medium- too small. “It will just take me half a day to make one,” he assured. Half a days work? I thought. I know what that means, a half a days work is not something to take lightly. Lupillo insisted. He and his gentle Great Dane guided me out through large garage doors to the back of the property and up three metal steps into a semi truck bed to where there were stacks of bolsters- woven fabrics and vinyls. ”Pick anything you want. Any color. We will make it. We will not charge you anything. We are sorry.”

On Tuesday, Julius and I returned to see what Lupillo and his son stitched together for Julius. We tested it. It fits! In the pic: New Homies. Lupillo said we should come back to the shop any time, that he can help with other things, too. Jr. who did the work, didn't seem to mind the time he put into the new airline seat harness for Jules.

I'll continue to keep you updated on our progress! My updates are also available on my website blog for those unable to donate, but still want to follow along with the strength of prayers. My website is at https://www.alicemarieperreault.com

Jules wearing his new airline chest harness and new friends- Lupillo and his son. It takes a village!

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