Dawn Wilcox, Disabled Veteran: 'Airline Made Me Sit In Urine-Soaked Clothes' (VIDEO)

Dawn Wilcox, an Army veteran who uses a wheelchair, says that American Airlines forced her to sit in urine-soaked clothes when she was unable to make it to the bathroom, reports local Texas news station KWTX.

Wilcox was flying home Saturday from New York to Killeen, Texas after attending a friend's funeral.

"They landed and started letting people off," Wilcox told MSNBC. "I said, 'Ma'am, I'm really about to go in my pants. ' I was almost in tears. They'd already let three quarters of the people off and it was too late, I'd already wet my pants."

According to Wilcox, nobody offered to help her. However, American Airlines claims flight attendants offered her an on-board wheelchair with which she could have accessed the lavatory. The airline said Wilcox declined the offer, preferring her own wheelchair that was in the hold.

Wilcox told MSNBC that American did offer her a club room shower to clean up, but she didn't have a change of clothes. Beyond that, she said she was offered a $100 credit towards her next flight and a food voucher.

American did offer Wilcox an official apology Monday.

Comments

[wheelspring]

01:32 PM on 11/09/2011

I've been paraplegic for three years and I have to say, this article brings back some pretty horrible memories. You absolutely cannot know how humiliating it is to pee your pants in public until you've done it.

This kind of thing happens to paraplegics a lot because most of our bladders only hold about 16 oz. You'd think that it would be easy to prepare for--they have adult diapers, right? But wearing Depends is risky when you can't stand up, especially if you've peed in them, because they chafe terribly and can cause pressure sores which take weeks of doing nothing but lying in bed to heal. An indwelling catheter (where your pee drains into a bag) is also problematic, because they increase risk for bladder infections. Why not use the airline wheelchair? Because it is difficult to transfer into them; they are clunky and hard to get into if you can't stand up at all--her own chair would be specially designed for easy transfers.

I don't know this woman and she may well have all the evil motivations that many posts seem to ascribe to her, but I feel obligated to speak up for my minority. There are a lot more factors that probably went into her decisions than this article mentions, and as someone who has been in that situation before, I can see why she was upset.

[vista007]

02:17 PM on 11/07/2011

This woman is an insult to all men and women who have served in the military, especially those who were injured or disabled. Any person who has to rely on someone else to go to the bathroom, should be using Depends, or something else to avoid "accidents" (not that I think for one moment that she had an accident). This woman is a scam artist. It sounds like she had a game going from the minute she booked her flight. The airline seemed reasonable in it's quest to attend to her needs. She, on the other hand, seemed to be demanding & uncooperative - unyielding to the point of soiling herself, and then trying to hold the airline responsible. Some people would sell their souls to the devil to turn a quick buck. She should be behind bars.

[alschmitty]

08:20 PM on 11/04/2011

Why is a FORMER soldier traveling in uniform? Why no rank on her cap? What unit is she in? Is she on official business? Is she even an active duty, reserve or National Guard soldier. I don't believe this story and I don't believe her. Disabled vet my eyeball. She is a disaster seeking a lawsuit. She is playing the victim. I am am a 30 year retired Army soldier and a disabled vet. This lady is not the real thing. It doesn't smell right. Don't be fooled.

[Alan G Thompson]

12:13 AM on 11/07/2011

Thank you for your service alschmitty. You no doubt know that you or any retired servicemember is authorized to wear your uniform, however, most only do that on special occasions or certain holidays. I do agree with you about this lady. Something is not right. It reminds me of a female veteran that wore her BDU's at a Vietnam Veterans reuinion in Meoblourne, Fl. However, one day she wore Marine Corps globe and anchor and the next day Army Specialists insignia. I politely challenged her at that time and she told me she served in both and also was a Viet Vet and when I questioned her about where she served inVietnam and what her MOS was, she said she was only in Saigon for 1 day.And finally she hurried away from me...just another phony. There are many of them now..The number of Viet Vets seems to be increasing daily.....

[Boomer Sooner]

08:19 AM on 11/07/2011

Alan, You should read AR 670-1. !. Retired personnel are not authorized to wear the US Army uniform anywhere they please. Civilian funerals are not one of the events that they are authorized for. 3. ACU's aren't authorized for wear to funerals. BTW, she went to NY to attend a concert, not a funeral as she claimed to the airline.

[nvrhrn1234]

07:58 AM on 11/04/2011

Sounds to me like this probably isn't the 1st time she's used her military background to manipulate the system.

[Ossit]

01:29 AM on 11/04/2011

There's nothing in the article indicating, Shantil2051, about her chair not being able to fit down the aisle, yet oddly their offered chair suddenly would? Interesting excuse though. They were being lazy. They offered to get her one of their chairs. Hmmm. No laziness there. She wanted hers, hmmm laziness suddenly kicked in. Her chair wouldn't have fit in the aisle you say? Hmmm, The only thing I've ever seen of wheelchairs is how big the person is. She's hardly 80 feet wide. I don't think it was a matter of what was fastest for her, because she knew where her wheelchair was stored. It was faster for the airline not to make the trip to the hold. And uh...where would this offered wheel chair been? I've flown a few times and I've never seen any wheelchairs folded up anywhere. She paid for her belongings and she could've been charged a fee for another chair. Ever consider that? What you mention are nothing but excuses so airline personnel could do what was fastest for THEM. She was entitled to make the choice of chairs and she thought she could hold it but they stalled.

[Boomer Sooner]

02:19 PM on 11/04/2011

It's obvious that you know little about aircraft, airlines, or wheelchairs. Even my 2 year old daughter's wheelchair won't fit in the aisles of commercial aircraft. Standard sized adult wheelchairs won't fit. Just because you have never seen an "Aisle Chair" on an aircraft, doesn't mean there isn't one stored in the cabin. Airlines do not, I repeat do not charge fees for the use of their wheelchairs. It's standard airline procedure to board passenger in wheelchairs first and assist them off last. Ever hear the old saying "Better to keep your mouth closed and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt."

[applepie21]

07:48 PM on 11/04/2011

All carriers that fly under part 121 are required to carry an onboard aisle chair. Standard wheelchairs do NOT fit down the aisle.

[Ossit]

08:59 AM on 11/05/2011

Well, thank you for explaining Boomer Sooner. Now can you in the future explain things a little bit more civilly? Well it's nice that they don't charge fees for the use of wheelchairs. I thought they did so that's why I mentioned it. They fee for everything else. Did you ever hear the expression "If you don't have anything nice to say don't say it all?" You want to explain things? Then do it civilly or keep your yap shut.

[eabdeb8176]

07:11 AM on 11/03/2011

Ok Dawn how is it the airline’s responsibility to provide clean clothing after you peed yourself? I can see if they weren’t being accommodating but they were. The wheelchair was stowed (like strollers and car seats are) and you refused to go to the bathroom in an airport wheelchair while airport employees got your wheelchair. Shaking my head. And then the lies that they uncovered? To lie about your mother’s death when she is very much alive is downright sick. Makes me wonder what else Ms. Wilcox could be lying about.

[eabdeb8176]

07:06 AM on 11/03/2011

It's too bad HP didn't publish both sides of this story fully because after hearing both sides on other sites I have to wonder about Ms. Wilcox.

One thing that HP did not mention is that the airline personnel did offer to take her to the bathroom in one of the airport’s wheelchairs to save time while airline employees unloaded her personal wheelchair off the plane. She declined.

She was also traveling on a ticket discounted under false pretenses. She told the ticket agent the funeral was for her mother at a funeral home in New York. Well after this whole thing went down American Airlines contacted the funeral home Ms. Wilcox gave them and they said no such person’s funeral was being handled at their funeral home. Ms. Wilcox claims that she was in New york attending the funeral of a friend not her mother. Ok then why lie to the airline and say the funeral was for your mother ? I don’t think the airline was given proof of such a funeral. I don’t see why she told the airline that the funeral was for her mother instead of what she’s now saying unless the friend is another lie in this tangled web she’s weaved. I don’t believe she was in New york for a funeral at all. After all this I just believe it was all a con into getting something for free.

[rebelroseofdixie]

07:43 AM on 11/03/2011

From other posts I've read and reading other websites the whole trip wasn't for a fruneral at all but for a Halloween Green Day Concert, of which she is a huge fan. Supposedly, the chance to go to the concert was completely last minute and so she hopped a plane to NY last minute without making any preparations to try to get into the concert.

On another note, even if that isn't the case and she did go to a funeral, I still cannot believe tha anyone who is disabled and wheelchair dependent would take a trip out of state without taking anything with them for the "just in case" something were to happen and she ended up in the situation that she ultimately ended up finding herself facing. Being a paraplegic I don't go on any trip in or out of state where I do not take an "emergency bag/tote" with me that has extra clothes, hand sanitizer, towels, 5 gallon trash bags (for soiled clothing), baby wipes, absorbent bed pads, wash cloths, soap, other hygiene products, as well as tools for my wheel chair in case it breaks down. If going out of town and flying I also add extra adult pull up diapers in the tote and make sure to have one on during the flight as an added precaution.

[eabdeb8176]

03:00 AM on 11/06/2011

Using her old ACUs as a holloween costume to me is disrespectful I don't know.

To me lying about a death is sick. I believe what you through out you get back and this could come back to bite her.

I don't wish her any ill will but there are people out there who depend on those fares and if enough people abuse it they might get rid of it all together. We used it when my husband's mom was dying (she had MS for years) Family members used it for the funeral of my son and 19 months later my daughter.

And your just in case bag is a good idea for anyone. Lots of people get sick on trips and can have accidents. (I mean this in a respectful manner)

Some have brought up that maybe if she's lied and faked her way through other things (apparently this hasn't been her first run in) what else is she lying about?

[92102]

06:36 AM on 11/03/2011

They would never allow this to happen on Pan Am. (circa 1964)

[William Foust]

03:51 AM on 11/03/2011

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/11/02/disabled-vet-says-was-forced-to-sit-in-urine-soaked-clothing-after-flight/?icid=maing-grid7%7Chp-laptop%7Cdl1%7Csec3_lnk1%7C109629
She lied about the funeral of her mother to receive a bereavement fair...........A person with such low character needs to be exposed for what she is.

[applepie21]

04:34 AM on 11/03/2011

And I suspect that American will charge her the difference in the airfare.

[eabdeb8176]

07:07 AM on 11/03/2011

She’s on “temporary retirement” from the army since a fall in 2006. I’m not sure how 5 years is temporary. And I’ve been told by family members who are active in the military that it is not normal for a retired vetran to wear a uniform such as the one Wilcox wears in the interview while traveling. It doesn’t make sense to wear street clothes under your uniform either. After this urine gate I’m beginning to wonder about the “fall”, if she’s a good con artist she can probably fool a doctor as others have said.

[Christopher Koulouris]

10:58 PM on 11/02/2011

A clean pair of pants wouldn’t haven’t been out of the extraordinary but then again given the airline industry’s pernicious desire to clamp down on costs it may well have been. Either way the incident underscores like so many episodes of late the vulnerability of passengers when subjected to elements or issues beyond their immediate control.

http://scallywagandvagabond.com/2011/11/disabled-vet-forced-to-wet-herself-after-airline-staff-repeatedly-ignored-her-pleas-to-use-restroom/

[applepie21]

03:05 AM on 11/03/2011

Do you honestly expect any airline to provide pants? In this instance, it should have provided ACUs to match the uniform? Ridiculous!

[madeye1]

08:14 PM on 11/02/2011

Wonder if she told them she was going to a funeral hoping they would knock some off her ticket.

[applepie21]

03:12 AM on 11/03/2011

If she did indeed misrepresent her intentions, AA will find out and take action. I wouldn't be surprised if the Army also didn't take action.

[WillowBreeze]

06:59 PM on 11/02/2011

I simply cannot believe that this bloomer-soaked story is running for two consecutive days.

[Donnie McDow]

06:50 PM on 11/02/2011

i sensed she wasn't telling the truth as soon as i saw the video

[cat4me]

06:48 PM on 11/02/2011

As a retired airline employee, I find it difficult to believe that the passenger was not aware of what was available to her as a disabled person. Perhaps she had recently become disabled, but she should have checked with the airline prior to flying to find out what was and what was not available. Wheelchair passengers are usually moved off the aircraft last as it involves getting an aisle chair to the passenger, transferring them to the aisle chair, and then at the aircraft door or inside the terminal transferring them once again to a standard wheelchair. Inflight, most airlines have what's called an "aisle chair" which is a smaller version of a wheel chair which FITS the aisleway (a standard wheelchair cannot) and is used to help in moving a passenger who cannot on their own walk to the bathroom. Agents are aware of passengers in need of this help and, if available, will seat the passenger close enough to a bathroom so that the flight attendants or able-bodied volunteer can help move the passenger to the aisle chair. A wheelchair that is placed in the cargo hold cannot be accessed until it is either brought to the aircraft door upon arrival or once inside the terminal area. Passengers, able-bodied or not, must take responsibility for finding out information that is pertinent to their situation. Still, I'm sorry she had to endure that.

[teryflwr4u]

06:35 PM on 11/02/2011

About 20 minutes before a plane is going to land most pilots announce "that this would be a good time to get up and go to the restroom before landing. I feel sorry for her, but something just isn't kosher with this story.

[Tiffany MorrowRich]

09:52 PM on 11/02/2011

Something doesn't sound right about this story to me either. Either she isn't telling the whole truth about what actually happened or the representatives of the airline aren't. The article says that she was offered an alternative to her own chair as a means of getting her to a bathroom, but that she refused that offer. That makes no sense to me.
One thing I will say is that, if she is recently disabled, she may not have realized that she had to go until after that "warning" was given. Sometimes a person with a disability is unaware of the need to go until long after an able bodied person would have gotten the "brain message". That may explain why she didn't go when given that last warning by the pilot, but it doesn't explain the issue about the alternate wheelchair offered. I agree that something is missing with this account of what actually happened.