California woman says her CANCER returned after JetBlue flight attendants' rude behavior

A California woman has claimed that her cancer returned following 'cruel' treatment by JetBlue.

Oksana Kiritchenko, 51, filed a lawsuit against the airline over the 2023 incident, which reportedly saw her denied from flying with her emotional support French bulldog in first class.

She claims she had been on remission from Stage 4 cancer until shortly after the confrontation with an airline employee, as first reported by The Independent. 

The federal suit claims Kiritchenko and her 71-year-old husband Peter were victims of 'an unexplainable level of cruel humiliation and ridicule' as they tried to return home from Florida last September.

The couple say they had paid a total $4,295.60 for for two round-trip first-class tickets and sent the airline the required forms for traveling with a service animal but were not allowed to do so.

Kiritchenko says it all went according to plan on their way to Florida from Los Angeles, with the dog Pier sat at their feet inside a travel bag in the first class area.

But as they prepared to board the flight back to LA, an airline agent approached the couple and raised questions about whether Pier was allowed to fly with them.

The suit claims Peter has a 'severe disability affecting his ability to stand' but the airline employee was unmoved when informed about the couple's health issues and 'kept [them] standing for a very long time.'

The employee eventually informed the couple that one of them would have to give up their first class sit to fly with the dog, per the suit.

The filing states: 'Plaintiffs had a pressing need to get back home (Mrs. Kiritchenko being a cancer patient had to be locally available in Los Angeles for her checkups), so they agreed.

'Plaintiffs were boarded on the plane with Mr. Kiritchenko seated in the 1st class seat and Mrs. Kiritchenko seated in… economy class with their dog in its travel bag.'

However, as the plane was preparing to take off, a flight attendant reportedly handed her a bag that was too small for the dog, and the plane was ordered to return to the airport and the couple 'ousted' from the flight.

The couple was then forced to wait for another flight the next day, buying new tickets on Delta Airlines and booking a hotel room.

The suit claims JetBlue cause the couple 'unnecessary monetary damages' and accuses the company of negligence and violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Moreover, the suit adds, 'Those events caused Mrs. Kiritchenko an extreme amount of stress. Upon arrival home, she checked in to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center hospital in Los Angeles. 

'The test results had shown the mean tumor molecules levels (‘MTM/ml’) had risen to 0.59. Several prior tests were showing test results at 0.00.'

The couple is asking for reimbursement for hospital and medical expenses, attorneys' fees, and monetary damages to be determined by a jury.

JetBlue has yet to comment on the suit; the company has 21 days to formally respond to the claims.