Laramie, WY – The Wyoming Community Foundation has partnered with Angel Flight West to reach more Wyoming residents who need transportation in order to access health care and other essential services far from home.
“Through our network of volunteer pilots and airline partners, Angel Flight West (AFW) arranges free flights for patients in Wyoming and 11 other Western states,” explains AFW Executive Director Josh Olson. “We’re very excited to continue our partnership with WYCF so we can be here for people like Teylor.”
Two years ago, then-19-year-old Teylor suffered second- and third-degree burns to 49% of her body following a propane explosion accident while operating a food truck at a fair in Bedford. Airlifted to the University of Utah Medical Center, she spent months in the hospital and still needs follow-up surgeries and physical therapy.
Angel Flight West is her airline, and her family is no longer burdened by the costly and exhausting commute to and from Salt Lake City. Teylor’s mom Stephanie says, “I don’t know how we would make it to care without Angel Flight West. We are blessed to have such amazing, giving people in our lives.”
“Transportation can be a formidable barrier to health care everywhere,” says Olson. “But it’s particularly challenging in Wyoming, where nearly half the population live in rural areas. Last year, we completed 99 flights to help Wyomingites. We hope to grow that number this year.”
This is the second time WYCF and AFW have collaborated. “The Wyoming Community Foundation was so pleased to be able to grant funding to Angel Flight West,” said Micah Richardson, director of programs at the Foundation. “By providing free transportation to those who need it, Angel Flight West removes a barrier to care. This service has helped so many of our Wyoming friends and neighbors access the treatment they need by removing the burden of transportation costs.”
To learn more about Angel Flight West, visit www.angelflightwest.org or contact Jessica Hayes at [email protected] and 310-390-2958.
The Wyoming Community Foundation is a nonprofit organization that works with donors to support the charitable causes they care most about. In 2021, the Wyoming Community Foundation granted over $8 million to charitable causes across the state.
For information call 307-721-8300 or visit their website at www.wycf.org.
