Human Interest Woman Welcomes Baby Mid-Flight Weeks Before Due Date — and Birth Certificate Says He Was Born 'In the Air' "Everything just happened so fast," says new mom Kendra Rhoden By Maria Pasquini Maria Pasquini Maria Pasquini is the staff editor for human interest’s digital vertical at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2017. People Editorial Guidelines Published on October 4, 2022 11:35AM EDT One passenger got the surprise of a lifetime when her water broke on an American Airlines flight. Kendra Rhoden, who lives in Connecticut, had six weeks left before her due date when she boarded a flight to the Dominican Republic last month, according to CBS affiliate WFSB. "Everything just happened so fast, it just happened so quick," she told the outlet. And before the plane was able to make its arrival, her son made his. 'Calm' Flight Attendant Helps Deliver Baby After Mom Goes into 'Early and Unexpected Labor' Mid-Flight As for his name, Rhoden wanted to pay tribute to the unique way her son came into this world. "His name is Skylen," Rhoden told WFSB. "Because he was born in the plane." And while her son is a U.S. citizen, his place of birth is listed on his birth certificate as "in the air," according to the outlet. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. American Airlines plane. Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Her sister, who was also making the trip, documented the entire experience on TikTok. "This is how my vacation is going," she wrote alongside one clip that showed her sister cradling her newborn as they were taken off the plane. After Rhoden's water broke, a number of nurses who were on board quickly jumped in to help — and while the family didn't get a chance to thank them at the time, her sister shared a warm message to all of the "heroes" who helped them. "We really appreciate you for all the hard work you did that day because we know how things really could have went left," her sister said in another TikTok video. "We know it's not easy to deliver a baby on an airplane." Woman Who Was Unaware of Pregnancy Gives Birth on Flight with Help From Nurses, Doctor: 'Lucky' In a statement to PEOPLE, American Airlines confirmed the baby was born on a September flight. "Upon landing, the customer was transported to a local hospital for evaluation," the spokesperson wrote. "We thank our team members and medical professionals on board for their professionalism and quick action." Woman Gives Birth During Flight from Ghana to U.S. with Help from Medical Professionals on Board The mother and her newborn ended up having to stay abroad for a few weeks to make sure it was safe to fly, but are now back home, according to WFSB. "I feel good now," she told the outlet.