DWTS Judge Carrie Ann Inaba Reveals Harrowing Midair Medical Emergency at 30,000 Feet
Dancing With the Stars judge Carrie Ann Inaba, 58, was hospitalized after a midair medical scare on a flight to New York, she revealed Thursday on Instagram.
Carrie Ann Inaba had a real scare mid-flight this week, and it ended with a trip to the ER. She says she is OK now, but the whole thing sounds like it got intense fast.
What happened on the plane
In an Instagram video posted Thursday, April 16, the 58-year-old 'Dancing With the Stars' judge said she was flying to New York for something she cares a lot about when she suddenly got sick. At first it felt like food poisoning. Then it escalated: cold sweat, dizziness, and both arms going numb. She was in the airplane bathroom when turbulence hit and the crew was told to stay seated, so she tried to handle it herself. When the numbness set in, she pressed the call button and asked for help.
Who helped and how it played out
According to Inaba, a flight attendant answered the call despite the seatbelt order and quickly clocked that she needed medical attention. Two doctors onboard stepped in and helped stabilize her. The Instagram post included video of her in the back of an ambulance and at the hospital. She later thanked the flight attendant, those doctors, her team, and the other passengers who gave her space while everything was going on.
After landing
Once the plane was on the ground, she went to the ER, received fluids, and left for her hotel when she felt steady again. In a follow-up statement to USA Today, she said she is resting up and repeated the symptoms: dizziness, nausea, feeling very warm, and numb arms. She also thanked the flight crew and a doctor onboard for helping her through a frightening situation.
"I am not alone. None of us are. The helpers are everywhere."
Why this rattled her more than usual
Inaba has been open about managing chronic health issues and says she usually travels with a toolkit and tries to handle flare-ups herself. This time scared her. She has publicly discussed living with:
- Sjogren's syndrome
- Lupus
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Fibromyalgia
The takeaway
Mid-flight emergency, quick response, hospital check, fluids, back to the hotel, now recovering. She wrapped it all with gratitude for the strangers who stepped up when she needed it most.