Obese American dies in Hungary because no airline wouild fly her back to US for medical treatment

A sickly, obese Bronx woman was left stranded in Hungary then died from kidney failure after airline officials booted her from three New York-bound flights because she was too fat, her husband says.

“All we wanted was to come back home to get her treatment,” said a grieving Janos Soltesz, a Staten Island Ferry security guard whose 56-year-old wife, Vilma, died in Hungary nine days after she was kicked off the first of three jets.

Vilma, who weighed about 425 pounds, had only one leg and used a wheelchair. She traveled with her husband of 33 years to Hungary on Delta and KLM airlines on Sept. 17.

They spent several relaxing weeks at a vacation home they owned in the Hungarian countryside.

 They planned to come home Oct. 15 so Vilma could resume treatment with the doctors she had been seeing for years.   But the couple, both natives of Hungary, were told Vilma couldn’t be accommodated by KLM after they boarded the jet home, Janos said.

Then they were told to drive five hours to Prague for a Delta plane that could accommodate her as a disabled person, said attorney Holly Ostrov Ronai, who is mulling a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against the airlines accusing them of violating laws protecting the disabled. In Prague, Delta staff told the couple the airline’s plastic wheelchair couldn’t hold her weight, Janos said.

 So the couple drove back to their vacation home and called their New York travel agent to make other arrangements.  Finally, the agent said they could get on an Oct. 22 Lufthansa flight to New York via Frankfurt, which would be able to accommodate her size.


On the plane, the crew, with help from the local fire department, was unable to move her from her wheelchair to the three seats assigned to her.

So they again went back to the vacation home to make other arrangements as Vilma became sicker and sicker.  Janos found Vilma dead two days later and buried her in Hungary.

Talk about not taking any individual responsibility.  The airlines are being sued for their part in the woman's death even though her death was directly related to the 425 pounds packed into her frame. You let your health deteriorate to the point the airlines can get you on their planes and that's not your fault?

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