From Angel Flights to Recovery: Meet Elijah March 1, 2024 Elijah was diagnosed with a bone marrow disorder called Fanconi Anemia at just nine years old. “We didn’t know at the time how much his life would change,” says Elijah’s mom Janeth. “But reality set in at our first doctor’s appointment after his diagnosis.” Janeth is a single parent, and she and Elijah live eight hours away from Stanford Medicine Children’s Health where Elijah would need to go for a bone marrow transpl… Jessica Hayes Read More »
Volunteer Pilots Remember AFW Passenger Elliot January 19, 2024 Angel Flight West was built on relationships, and that foundation is what has kept our passengers at the heart of our mission for more than forty years. When our volunteer pilots sign up to donate a flight, they aren’t only signing up to experience the joy of flying — they’re signing up to invest their time and energy in another person, a new friend. Our passenger Elliot was one of those friends, both to volu… Jessica Hayes Read More »
LaMonte’s Battle with Leukemia December 28, 2023 Last year, before his second birthday, LaMonte was diagnosed with childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The family lives in Billings, Mont., but the devastating diagnosis meant his family had to spend nearly 11 months in Colorado for LaMonte’s treatment. “Because it’s such a rare form of leukemia, he’s required more treatment than other patients,” says LaMonte’s mother MaKenna. Now, while the family i… Jessica Hayes Read More »
Meet Colter: Agent of Chaos December 28, 2023 Those who know him best describe two-year-old Colter as a mischievous and hilarious, “agent of chaos”. He is the youngest of three boys, but his older brothers still wait on him hand and foot. Despite his childhood cancer diagnosis, he’s full of life and energy. Colter was diagnosed with a rare form of liver cancer called hepatoblastoma at just 18 months old. Shortly after, the family was referred to a specialist in Se… afw_web_admin Read More »
A Veteran Gets His Voice November 16, 2023 Command Pilot Mark Donnelly flew Bill and his wife home after Bill’s reconstructive surgery. On Friday November 10, Army veteran William “Bill” Shammy will leave the VA Hospital in Palo Alto with something he hasn’t had in 10 years: a voice. Bill lost his voice to throat cancer when doctors had to remove his larynx. Now he’s undergoing reconstructive surgery. With his wife Matilda, he’ll fly home to Esp… Jessica Hayes Read More »
Stetson’s Story: How Volunteer Pilots Aid in His Battle Against NF1 November 6, 2023 Stetson prepares for his AFW flight home after his care at Logan Health Children’s in Salt Lake City, UT. As a middle child, eight-year-old Stetson has two siblings he loves fiercely — his 10-year-old brother Maverick and his six-year-old sister Wren. His contagious smile is captured in nearly all his photos, including those of him in hospital beds surrounded by medical equipment and beeping monitors.&nbs… Jessica Hayes Read More »
From Nurturer to Nurtured: Tim’s Battle with Merkel Cell Carcinoma August 14, 2023 As a retired educator, Tim spent years nurturing at-risk youth, using his carpentry skills to teach green building to his students. At the time, he was also balancing a return to college with being a single father to his two children. His efforts paid off, and he won a leadership award for his work with teens, bestowed by the Craig and Susan Thomas Foundation in Wyoming. Now, it’s Tim’s turn to be nurtured. Just over a yea… Jessica Hayes Read More »
How One Veteran Is Supporting Fellow Service Members July 15, 2023 Each year, Angel Flight West (AFW) partners with the White Heart Foundation (WHF) to fly veterans to the Guardian Project, a therapeutic outdoor experience for post-9/11 veterans. Your donation towards our summer fundraiser helps us arrange missions for veterans, ensuring those who have served can access the resources they need. Corporal Jed Morgan, the foundation’s camp creator and director, h… Jessica Hayes Read More »
Challenges Won’t Stop Campers From a Fantastic Summer July 6, 2023 Year after year our team has the privilege of witnessing the transformative power of summer camp season. We see the power these therapeutic programs have for young burn survivors, for children with life-threatening or life-altering illnesses, and for kids with a variety of needs and backgrounds. For many youngsters, camps are a summer sanctuary — a place where they can forget any troubles and make summer memories… Jessica Hayes Read More »
Four Siblings Fly to Deaf Camp with Volunteer Pilots June 5, 2023 A father of two small children, volunteer pilot Ori Zaitzman appreciates that his AFW missions can be tailored to fit his busy life. Last summer he flew two young brothers, Jaxon and Jaden, to Lions Wilderness Deaf Camp — a haven where deaf and hard-of-hearing children learn outdoor skills and form invaluable friendships. “I asked the passengers’ family if they wanted me to bring my puppy,” Ori said. “They wer… Jessica Hayes Read More »
General Aviation Saves Lives: Volunteer Pilot Flies First Angel Flight May 26, 2023 As an Angel Flight West passenger for the past five years, Joan is somewhat of a pro at boarding and flying to care in small planes. “I live in Las Vegas,” she says. “I had intestinal troubles beginning in 2014. Now, every three months, I travel to see my Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN), Vascular and GI specialists at UCLA.” Knowing that paying for transportation to her medical care wasn’t feasible long-term, one of he… Jessica Hayes Read More »
Born With Bilateral Anophtalmia, Little Girl Loves to Fly May 22, 2023 For Heaven Wright, a single mother, finding a community of support has always been essential. Her two-year-old daughter, Monroe, was born without eyes — and the Wrights’ hometown of Las Vegas offers limited resources in optometry. “Monroe has hydrogels,” Heaven says, “which go in place of eyeballs and have prosthetic shells over them. We found a doctor in Utah who was the only doctor able to do those.” Now, Heaven an… Jessica Hayes Read More »
The Sky’s the Limit for Elias: Flights to Post-Transplant Care April 25, 2023 Each Angel Flight West passenger holds a special place in our hearts – and that includes the committed companions who accompany patients on their journey. A third of our missions are for minors traveling long distances to treatment, and it’s an honor to help lighten the load for the parents and caregivers flying by their side. As a single parent and foster mom in Spokane Valley, WA, Heidi began fostering… Jessica Hayes Read More »
Volunteers Give Patients an Extra Bit of Light and Hope March 28, 2023 Four months ago, amid raising five children between the ages of nine and sixteen, Margo received the shocking diagnosis of breast cancer. “From one moment to the next, anything can turn on a dime,” she says. “You think of nothing but getting better and getting to and from appointments.” But getting to care would prove to take more time and travel than expected. Margo’s best option for treatment was hundreds of m… Jessica Hayes Read More »
When Medical Care is States Away March 14, 2023 Jen had just made the big decision to accept a new position in Southern Oregon when another life-altering event crossed her path. “I found out I had Stage 1 ovarian cancer,” says Jen. “It was a huge shock. It doesn’t run in my family. And not to mention, I was in the middle of moving from Colorado to Oregon for my new job, so everything was already expensive.” As with most career transitions, Jen had a lapse in her employer-o… Jessica Hayes Read More »
