Meet the Dubai-Manila flight passenger whose post went viral

(Left) Missy Berberabe Umandal; (Right) The photo shared by her on Facebook

It's confirmed. The little bundle of joy who made her grand entrance into the world aboard a plane from Dubai to Manila on August 14, won't quite be living the jet-set life we all thought. 
Cebu Pacific has confirmed baby Haven won't be receiving free flights for life, but she will however be awarded one million GetGo points by the airline. Not bad for just three days old. 
Read: Cebu Pacific DENIES reports that baby born on Dubai-Manila flight will get free flights for life
A fellow passenger on board the flight 5J015 from the Dubai International Airport watched in awe as baby Haven's mid-air birth unravelled. 
After posting images of the healthy mother and baby, post birth, Missy Berberabe Umandal's Facebook post set the social media world abuzz when she wrote: "Very lucky baby.. since she was born in a Cebu Pac plane, she gets FREE TRAVELS FOR A LIFETIME with the airline." 
The post was shared more than 3,500 times in just two days. 
Although the free flights for life statement turned out to be a slight exaggeration, baby Haven won't be complaining now she has one million GetGo points in tow.
Here's what she told Khaleej Times.
Do you imagine your Facebook post would go viral?
Never! My settings for the post was actually on private, and I only made it public when my grandma asked me to do so, for her friends to see. The sole purpose of this post was to share with everyone how I encountered such a peculiar experience. Overnight, it had hundreds, and soon thousands, of shares. I received several compliments from family members who were proud of me, friends who never knew I could narrate creatively, and strangers from different parts of the world who became so inspired and emotional over my story. I'm just glad I was able to touch other's lives through my story of how a miracle came to be.
How did it feel being so close to a live birth?
I didn't see the actual birth - a wall blocked us from seeing it, and they also closed the curtains. I only relied on observing the flight attendants' reactions, the nurse's feet covered in blood popping outside the curtains, and, for lack of a better term, eavesdropping. But I was closest to the scene, as I was seated in front. It all happened only 2 feet away from me - the birth of an actual human being!
Why were you on the flight? 
I live in Makati, Philippines. I was only in Dubai for a leisure trip. Unfortunately, due to the extreme heat in Dubai, I wasn't able to tour around as much as I wanted.

• Dubai

Kelly Clarke

kelly@khaleejtimes.com