BEDFORD, N.H. — For one New Hampshire family, what should have been a dream vacation to Disney World turned into a nightmare.

The parents of Nicholas Dainiak said they were given an ultimatum by a Southwest flight crew: either check special equipment Nicholas needs to sit with or get off the plane.

The crew told the couple the safety seat Nicoholas travels with violates FAA rules.

Nicholas suffers from Batten Disease. It has stripped him of his ability to walk, talk, eat and even blinded him. Without a cure, it will ultimately take his life.

Faced with the prospect of spending Christmas in the Orlando airport, the family chose to forgo the safety seat and instead were forced to use a neck pillow to try and brace Nicholas’s head for the duration of the flight.

Southwest has apologized and refunded the Dainiak’s their airfare.

The Dainiaks have been active to set up a foundation and website, OurPromiseToNicholas.com.