Volunteer Angels Fly Missions of Mercy
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Can you imagine how desperate you'd be if you or a loved one was in need of specialized medical care but couldn't afford the long distance transportation to access that care?
Assisting children and adults in accessing life-saving distant medical treatment is a mission that few non-profit organizations have tackled. The quiet, yet significant need for this service is enormous when considering how quickly we can become overwhelmed with expenses in the event of a family crisis. Angel Flight is answering this need and expanding exponentially. Last year, Angel Flight volunteers and supporters made over 10,000 missions possible helping over 23,000 passengers nationwide.
"Most people don't think about traveling long distances for any reason other than vacation or business . . . until they realize that specialized care may not be available due to an inability to ‘get there'," said executive director Christel Gollnick. "By leveraging our resources to arrange free transportation through volunteer pilots and the occasional airline contact who donate their services, Angel Flight helps thousands of children and adults."
"Angel Flight has saved my life," said a grateful passenger. "I never could've afforded the cost of traveling every few weeks to my specialist."
Kansas City's local grassroots Angel Flight chapter, the Heart of America WING, is flying a mission nearly every day and working to educate the community of this unique service. A new father with a cancerous brain tumor returned home from Houston to celebrate his remission. A grandmother flew to Montana to care for her grandchildren while her son dealt with a medical crisis. A firefighter returned home after suffering a medical emergency while out of town. And a mother was relieved of the expense necessary to bring her young child to Kansas City for surgery.
Often, a general aviation pilot and the volunteers who make Angel Flight possible are a passengers' last hope. This unique matching service is free of charge and is entirely funded through donations from individuals, foundations, corporations and other groups.
"The Angel Flight story is simple and powerful," said Gollnick. "When people do what they love, great things can be accomplished. Our volunteers repeatedly and generously choose to share their love for flight to provide HELP and HOPE to families who are struggling financially, emotionally and physically."
For more information, contact Christel Gollnick at 816.421.2300 or christel@angelflightcentral.org. You can also learn about Angel Flight's nationwide network and link to the Angel Flight Central web site by visiting www.angelflightamerica.org or calling 877.621.7177.