Pectus brace and airport security...

[BabyBelle1]

Hello!

My son was recently diagnosed with pectus carinatum and started wearing a brace last week. We leave for Disney in 2.5 weeks and he is so nervous about going through airport security with it (He also has autism and related anxiety, so he's pretty fixated on possible issues with it.. "Are they going to strip search me?!?")

For those not familiar with it, it's a pretty medieval looking metal and plastic contraption with Velcro shoulder straps (no, I wouldn't say that in front of him, only positive talk about pectus brace! ) It's worn under his shirt.

Does anyone have personal experience going through airport security with a similar brace??

Knowing what to expect would really ease his anxiety right now!

 

[SueM in MN]

Hello!

My son was recently diagnosed with pectus carinatum and started wearing a brace last week. We leave for Disney in 2.5 weeks and he is so nervous about going through airport security with it (He also has autism and related anxiety, so he's pretty fixated on possible issues with it.. "Are they going to strip search me?!?")

For those not familiar with it, it's a pretty medieval looking metal and plastic contraption with Velcro shoulder straps (no, I wouldn't say that in front of him, only positive talk about pectus brace! ) It's worn under his shirt.

Does anyone have personal experience going through airport security with a similar brace??

Knowing what to expect would really ease his anxiety right now!

You gave me my laugh for the evening ( and I really needed one this evening).

Anyway, here is a link to the TSA we page about casts, braces and appliances.
http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information/casts-braces-support-appliances

You can assure him they don't strip search him ( and, even if they did, I'm assuming this is only on his chest, so no one would see more then would be seen in a swimming suit).

The easiest way yo desk with it would be yo remove the brace just before going thru security, send it thru the x ray machine and then put it back on after going thru security.

You should be able to find a companion rest room where you could help him put it back on.

If he can't remove it, they will do a pat down. My DD has one every time because she can't stand to get out of her wheelchair.. The agents wear gloves and use a flat hand to pat all over the body, they will probably feel the brace in multiple places and will probably do a swab of it - kind of like a small wet tissue rubbed on it. Then they take that to a machine to be processed.
It all takes a few minutes. He will have to stay where they tell him and you won't be allowed to touch him, but he will always be in sight of you.

 

[EskiLvr]

TSA can't force him to take it off in front of everyone. My younger son just finished a 2 year stint with a TLSO brace for scoliosis - and he had a lot of the same concerns (like the fact that he had to wear a shirt under and over it - he was afraid they'd make him take his "over shirt" off and everyone would see his polypropylene abs).

We wound up not having to deal with it directly because he didn't wear it on the plane (not being able to move + TLSO cutting into your leg = nerve issues that suck), but he *did* have to pack it into a duffel bag that was clearly bigger than a "normal" check on bag. TSA told us to simply notify the officers that medical equipment was present. If he had been wearing his brace, and they'd wanted to check things out more closely, I would have had the right to ask for it to be done in a private room with a parent present.

Nobody said a word. Southwest gave us a special gate tag so that we could keep the brace in the overhead (it fit - it was just a little "longer" than most bags - Thing 2 is 5'11", so it's not a small appliance) without having to worry about it being damaged in the cargo hold.

One thing you could do - call the airport you'll be flying out of, and ask to speak to the TSA office. Explain the situation, and ask how *they* would like you to handle the presentation process - and also ask for a general play-by-play so that you can prepare your kiddo appropriately.

Good luck!