I’d like to take a moment and give you my story and how Angel Flight has made a difference.
Serious illness is always a life altering experience and one with few treatment alternatives adds a new set of problems. For my family and I, cancer came as a surprise — one I never thought I would fight for years to come.
When the treatment focus narrowed to a clinical trial hundreds of miles away in New York City I wondered how we would ever make this work. The trial required regular treatments and frequent scans to monitor progress. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Institute is the only place in the world with the advanced form of treatment I needed.
Commercial flights and trains were both very expensive and time consuming. Driving or taking the bus required seven hours of commuting time if there was minimal traffic. With cancer invading the bones in my lower spine, a trip in a car or bus involved two days of torture. It also meant the cost of a hotel room in the city as I would have to take the long journey a day in advance. This was hundreds of dollars.
Like a miracle, a friend told us about Angel Flight. My wife was put in contact with JJ Quinn and he told us about this amazing service. Suddenly, the impossible became possible.
A short drive to Culpeper Airport and a two hour flight to New York meant we could go up and back on the same day.
For me, Angel Flight is a life saving service in more ways than one. Aside from making treatment possible, the flights fill you with hope. The beautiful sunrises, sunsets and the landscape below are things you do not experience on a commercial flight at 35,000 feet. These things remind me of the wonder of God’s creation and the wonderful people at Angel Flight.
The pilots donate their time, planes, upkeep, and expenses. They are tireless crusaders giving help and hope to those in need. If you wish to contribute at this time, send donations to Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic, 4620 Haygood Road, Suite 1, Virginia Beach, VA 23455 — the JJ Quinn Fuel Reimbursement Fund.