Terri Irwin in airplane medical dramaJonathan Moran
December 02, 2007 12:05am
Article from: Font size: + -
Send this article: Print Email
ANIMAL crusader Terri Irwin was taken off an international flight in a wheelchair after falling ill.

Irwin, 43, was travelling home from the US to celebrate her son Robert's fourth birthday at Australia Zoo at Beerwah when she became ill.

Passengers were shocked to see Irwin leave the Qantas flight in a wheelchair and wearing an oxygen mask.

Mrs Irwin, Robert and her daughter, Bindi, had been in the US as guests on a float at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade last month.

Their manager, John Stainton, said the wife of the late Steve Irwin had come down with a virus resulting in laryngitis.

"She just got a bit of a flu bug in her travels," Mr Stainton told The Sunday Mail.

He said Mrs Irwin had consulted a doctor and was resting.

"She is fine," he said. "It is Bob's birthday and she was out there cutting the cake today."

It was no ordinary party. Robert was joined by a 4000-strong crowd at Australia Zoo's Crocoseum on the Sunshine Coast.

He wore a khaki shirt and shorts to celebrate the dinosaur-themed bash with sister Bindi and a stegosaurus-shaped birthday cake.