United Airlines has apologized to a New Jersey mother who said the company 'humiliated' her by not allowing her disabled three-year-old daughter to sit on her lap during a flight -- even though the child is physically unable to sit up on her own.

Elit Kirschenbaum said her flight from the Dominican Republic was delayed for nearly an hour in the Dec. 30 incident as a flight attendant insisted her daughter Ivy, a stroke survivor with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, be placed in a seat on her own.

The family, aware of federal safety regulations that children over two years old need their own seat, had bought an economy seat for Ivy but kept her with them in business class due to her condition.

Outrage: The Kirschenbaum family were on their way back from a Christmas holiday in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, when a United Airline flight attendant said Ivy, 3, (back right) had to sit in her own seat as she is over 2

'Humiliating': Mother-of-four Elit Kirschenbaum said the hour-long ordeal was humiliating for her family

Kirschenbaum wrote in a Tumblr post that three flight attendants walked by her with the three-year-old on her lap and made no comment.

However, moments before the New Jersey-bound flight took off, a fourth flight attendant confronted Kirschenbaum about the seating arrangement.

Describing the situation in a Facebook post, Kirschenbaum wrote that she thoroughly explained to the flight attendant that her daughter was unable to sit independently but the woman 'insisted on creating a scene.'

'The remaining 3 flight attendants pleaded our case, in fact one was in tears, but this one attendant dug her heels in and wouldn't budge,' Kirschenbaum wrote.

'All of my children were sobbing, my niece was sobbing, other passengers were getting involved yet this woman still displayed zero compassion.'

She wrote on Tumblr that her husband pleaded with the flight attended with no success and ultimately approached the pilot asking for help.

Ivy: Ivy (right) is a stroke survivor with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, the most disabling form of spastic cerebral palsy

'Offending: In a Jan. 1 tweet, Kirschenbaum wrote that the airline apologized to her and her family on behalf of the 'offending flight attendant'

'Behaved Poorly:' Kirschenbaum said the airline stated that the flight attendant 'behaved poorly' in the situation

Eventually, the airline allowed Ivy to lie across her parents' laps, strapped in, during take-off and landing. The rest of the flight was spent sat on their laps.

However, Kirschenbaum said she was 'humiliated in front of a full flight of passengers,' and, demanding an apology from the airline, enlisted the support of the public on Twitter with the hashtag #UnitedWithIvy.

'I don't want free flights and I'm not interested in contacting a lawyer as some people have suggested I should,' she said. 'I just want the airline to apologize.'

She added on Facebook: 'United needs to be aware and held accountable for how they treat people with disabilities and their families.'

Compensation: After the incident, Kirschenbaum said that she did not want compensation from the airline, but an apology

Hashtag: The mother-of-four took to Twitter to enlist public support with the hashtag #UnitedWithIvy

A spokeswoman for United told ABC News: 'The parents, who were ticketed in first class, wanted to hold the child in their lap rather than have the child take the seat they'd purchased for her in economy.

'Federal safety regulations require any child over the age of two to have his or her own seat, and flight attendants are required by law to enforce that safety rule.

'As we did in this case, we will always try to work with customers on seating arrangements in the event of any special needs.'

Many spoke out on Twitter about the airline's treatment of little Ivy and her family.

In a statement posted one day after the incident, airline officials wrote 'We at United are sorry that the Kirschenbaums encountered difficulties with their seating while traveling with their 3-year-old daughter.'

'Rather Cold:' The incident even caught the attention of CNN's Jake Tapper who wrote on Twitter that the airline's initial statement to the Kirschenbaum family seemed 'rather cold'

Intentions: The family reportedly purchased an economy ticket for little Ivy (right) intending to keep the child with them in business class

The incident even caught the attention of CNN's Jake Tapper who wrote on Twitter that the airline's initial statement to the Kirschenbaum family seemed 'rather cold.'

After drawing public criticism, with Kirshenbaum's encounter being reported on multiple news sites, the airline apologized.

In a Jan. 1 tweet, Kirschenbaum wrote that the airline apologized to her and her family on behalf of the airline and the 'offending flight attendant.'