Teen With Down Syndrome Turns Her Love of Flying Into a Dream Come True

Shantell “Shannie” Pooser had spent much of her young life traveling by plane for medical treatment. But for the South Carolina teenager, those flights eventually became more than trips to the hospital—they became the inspiration for a dream. At 17, Shannie, who had Down syndrome and a serious terminal airway condition, was honored as an honorary flight attendant by PSA Airlines, an American Airlines subsidiary. The recognition allowed her to experience the role she had dreamed about while traveling repeatedly between South Carolina and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. How Shannie Fell in Love With Flying Shannie's connection to aviation began during the many flights she took for medical care. She regularly traveled from Columbia, South Carolina, to Cincinnati, Ohio, where she received treatment for severe airway problems. Over time, she became familiar with the pilots and flight attendants who worked those routes. During one trip, a flight attendant gave Shannie a pair of airline wings. The simple gesture made a lasting impression. Shannie began paying close attention to what the cabin crew did during flights. According to her mother, Deanna Miller-Berry, her daughter eventually began imitating the attendants during safety demonstrations. That experience helped turn her interest in flying into a specific goal: she wanted to become a flight attendant. American Airlines Helped Make the Dream Possible Shannie's mother initially contacted an American Airlines flight attendant hoping to obtain a few airline items for her daughter's birthday celebration. The request led to something far more memorable. American Airlines arranged a special birthday celebration for Shannie aboard a Boeing aircraft. Her family and friends joined her for the event, which included decorations and a celebration designed around her love of aviation. But the biggest surprise was still ahead. Shannie received an airline uniform and badge, allowing her to dress like the flight attendants she had admired during her medical journeys. In 2018, PSA Airlines recognized her as an honorary flight attendant after she had already flown more than 50 flight segments between South Carolina and Cincinnati for medical treatment. The honor gave Shannie the chance to experience her dream firsthand. She Actually Worked Alongside the Crew The honorary title wasn't simply ceremonial. When her health allowed, Shannie participated in parts of the flight attendants' routine. She helped with preflight activities, demonstrated safety instructions and interacted with passengers while wearing her uniform. During one 2019 flight, she walked through the cabin, handed out snacks and greeted passengers while wearing her flight-attendant attire. Her mother said Shannie particularly enjoyed being able to serve passengers. For someone who had spent so many flights as a patient traveling toward medical care, being able to walk the cabin as an honorary member of the crew represented a dramatic change in perspective. She wasn't simply a passenger anymore. For those special flights, she was part of the team. Her Health Journey Was Extremely Difficult Behind Shannie's enthusiasm for aviation was a complicated medical history. She was born with Down syndrome and serious airway abnormalities, including laryngomalacia, tracheomalacia and tracheobronchomalacia. The conditions affected her ability to breathe and required specialized treatment. Her family made repeated trips to Cincinnati Children's Hospital in search of treatment. One of the most significant moments came in 2016, when Shannie underwent major surgery. Her mother was warned that her daughter could emerge from the operation in extremely serious condition. Instead, something unexpected happened. When Shannie came out of surgery, she began singing “Let It Go” from Frozen, according to her mother. The moment left the medical team surprised and reinforced Miller-Berry's determination to help her daughter experience as much of life as possible. Her Mother Created a Bucket List After that difficult surgery, Miller-Berry decided that she wanted to help Shannie pursue the experiences she dreamed about. Together, they created a bucket list. Becoming a flight attendant was among the first goals Shannie wanted to accomplish. Her other ambitions included meeting the Obamas, appearing on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and attending her junior prom in an unusual way. Several of those dreams eventually became reality. Shannie's family focused on celebrating her life and giving her meaningful experiences rather than allowing her medical condition to define every part of her story. That approach became especially important as her health continued to deteriorate. Airline Employees Became Part of Her Story Shannie's repeated flights to Cincinnati allowed her to form genuine connections with airline employees. American Airlines and PSA crew members came to know her personally, and those relationships continued after she received her honorary position. In 2019, when Shannie was preparing to travel to Cincinnati for another major surgery, airline employees organized special celebrations for her at the airport and during her journey. The airline described the relationship as one that had developed over many trips. For Shannie, the crews were familiar faces during an otherwise difficult medical routine. For the employees, she had become a passenger they knew and cared about. That connection helped turn her regular medical flights into something more personal. The Honor Meant More Than a Uniform Shannie's honorary flight-attendant role did not mean she had been hired as a conventional airline employee. Instead, it gave her an opportunity to experience a profession she had admired and to participate in selected duties when her health permitted. That distinction is important, particularly because some later descriptions of her story referred to her simply as becoming a “flight attendant.” Contemporary reporting and American Airlines' own account describe her position as honorary. Still, the experience was clearly meaningful. Shannie could put on the uniform, wear her wings and help the crew on flights that had once been associated almost entirely with medical appointments. A Teenager Who Refused to Let Her Illness Define Her Shannie's story resonated because the circumstances surrounding her dream were so unusual. She was not flying because she was heading on vacation or taking a family trip. She was flying because she needed specialized medical care. Yet those same journeys introduced her to a world that fascinated her. A simple pair of wings from a flight attendant became the starting point for a goal that eventually took her into the cabin as an honorary member of the crew. Her mother supported that dream even when Shannie's medical condition made the future uncertain. And American Airlines gave the teenager an opportunity to experience the profession she had talked about for years. A Dream Born From an Ordinary Act of Kindness The most memorable part of Shannie's story may be how simply it began. Someone handed a young passenger a pair of wings. That small gesture caught her attention and gave her something to dream about during years filled with hospital visits and surgeries. By the time she turned 17, that dream had grown into an experience that included a flight-attendant uniform, airline wings and the chance to help a real cabin crew. Shannie’s journey shows how a seemingly ordinary act of kindness can have an extraordinary effect on someone else's life. For a teenager facing serious medical challenges, becoming an honorary flight attendant offered a chance to focus on what she wanted to do—not simply on what her illness prevented her from doing. Her story ultimately became one of dreams, family determination and the people who chose to help a young girl reach for the sky.