I wish gate agents would have pulled the two people off that died on my flights this year (2 separate flights). In both cases, neither had any business being onboard an aircraft and (probably) would have lived had they been closer to a hospital. With limited resources airborne there's only so much you can do, especially when flying over the Pacific with hours to the nearest divert airport.

Agents obviously aren't healthcare professionals, nor should they be required to play that part. However, they do have the very appropriate ability to deny service if there's a concern about passenger safety or public health. Think about how a how bad a passenger must look for that concern to be raised, it goes far beyond the obvious like a too-short skirt or offensive t-shirt.

It sounds like the issue isn't making sure the kid was OK, but SWA's inability to flag the reservation with the fit to fly requirement?