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On a Mission to Make a Difference
 Every time retired psychologist Dr. Lewis Young, 72, straps himself into the cockpit of his twin engine piper, he’s on a mission. Sometimes it’s to get a patient to a far-away hospital for surgery, chemotherapy, or dialysis; other times, to get much needed blood donations to other parts of the country, or to provide transportation for family members who couldn’t otherwise be with a sick loved one.
“I love flying and get a lot of satisfaction out of making charitable flights,” says Dr. Young. “People are so grateful and it really makes me feel good inside to know I’m helping someone in need.”
Dr. Young, who lives in southwest Kansas, is one of the 6,000 volunteer pilots who fly for Angel Flight America, a nonprofit charitable organization that arranges free air transportation for any legitimate, charitable, medically related need.
“I first learned about the charity at an aircraft owners and pilots convention in January of 2001, and was immediately hooked by the opportunity to make a difference,” says Dr. Young. “Over the past three-and-a-half years, I have flown nearly 250 Angel Flight missions. I do it because I feel fortunate in my life and this is my way of sharing my success with others.”
Dr. Young has transported people with a wide range of maladies, including cancer patients in need of radiation treatments, older people with heart problems, and kids with birth deformities. “Every flight is special, but the ones that involve kids make lasting impressions on me,” he says. “Take for example a little 8-year-old South Carolina boy with a leg deformity. He’s a really neat kid, and he and his family are so pleasant and thankful every time I bring them to and from Shriner’s Hospital in St. Louis,” he says. “I’m more than happy to help out in any way I can.”
“Air transport is the most comfortable way to travel, particularly if a patient lives far away from their treatment facility, but cost often prevents them from choosing that option. There is never a fee of any kind, either to the patient or the health care provider for an Angel Flight. The costs are paid by the volunteer pilots,” says Gary McMahan, Executive Director of Angel Flight America.
To be eligible for an Angel Flight, patients must have a legitimate medical need to avoid lengthy surface transportation, and be unable to pay for it. They must also be ambulatory and able to travel in a small, non-pressurized aircraft without access to lavatory facilities; have a letter from their physician or treating institution verifying their need for assistance; and if they require assistance, a family member or caregiver to accompany them. Angel Flight aircraft are not equipped for medical emergencies and volunteers are not able to provide any medical service before, during, or after the flight.
“The most satisfying thing for me is just helping other people get through life more comfortably than they would otherwise,” adds Dr. Young. “Long trips to the hospital on the ground would be debilitating for the people we transport.”
Angel Flight is supported primarily by the pilots who fly the missions (by donating the use of their airplanes and operating expenses) and by contributions from individuals, foundations, service clubs, social and religious groups and corporations.
Hospital social service workers or friends who desire to arrange transportation for a patient should contact the Angel Flight office in their region to obtain required documents necessary for qualification. Log on to www.angelflightamerica.org for more information.
Courtesy of ARA Content
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