Austin mother says bagged breast milk spoiled while family navigated Southwest cancelations

Austin mother loses weeks' worth of breast milk while navigating Southwest cancelations

Austin mother Tiona Ward says she lost bags of breast milk she'd spent weeks pumping in preparation for her trip due to the recent Southwest Airlines cancelations.

AUSTIN, Texas - Southwest Airlines cancelations left thousands of bags without their travelers at baggage claim, with personal belongings, Christmas presents and more all lost.

But what made Austin woman Tiona Ward even more frustrated was losing her breast milk.

"The cooler was completely hot, the milk was spoiled, it was literally at room temperature. And after so many hours you have to trash it because it'll make her sick," Ward told FOX 7 Austin.

Ward says she's been having trouble with her breast milk supply, and she worked for weeks pumping in preparation to her trip. She packed 12 six-ounce bags of breast milk, all of which spoiled in the time she and her family waited in line trying to get their flight rebooked.

Southwest Airlines chaos: Family snags one of last rental cars to drive home after canceled flight

More than 55 percent, or 123 Southwest flights, in Austin were canceled Wednesday.

"All of the milk that I had on me pretty much was gone. And then that night they let us know that nothing was leaving Austin," says Ward.

Southwest tried to reschedule the Ward family's flight but kept canceling. She and her husband then had no other choice but to go back home and try again the next day.

"My husband had to go on a hunt on the 26th for milk all around Central Texas. I think he finally found milk in Cedar Park, but he was out for hours looking for a formula because there's a national formula shortage as well," says Ward.

On Thursday, Ward received a text message from a woman at the Nashville airport telling her luggage had made it to Tennessee without her.

"So I know that the big bag that has two milk containers is in Nashville, but it just sucks that we're not there to, you know, get it," says Ward.

Ward later told FOX 7 on Friday afternoon that her mother was able to pick up all four bags at the Nashville airport after waiting in line for an hour.