Erika, Camps and Recreation Manager at the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation (AARBF) and former Angel Flight West (AFW) passenger, shares her gratitude for AFW and the continued impact we have through our partnership with the AARBF below.
From Erika:
I say thank you to the team and volunteer pilots, but it feels like it’s never enough. I’m speaking today under two hats — as the AARBF Camps and Recreation Manager and as somebody who flew with AFW as a passenger.
At AARBF, we host several events from February through September for burn survivors of all ages across the state of California. These events are for patients who have sustained severe injuries like mine, as well as smaller injuries. Our purpose and mission is to provide experiences that support one of the most important aspects of recovery after leaving the hospital: group interaction.
That interaction helps survivors make friends, build self-esteem, and create a community that allows them to continue moving forward, healing, and recovering, with support outside of the hospital. It’s one thing to have your physical needs cared for in the hospital, but it’s another to care for your soul and mental health journey after something as life changing as a burn injury.
Because of AFW and the partnership we’ve had for many, many years, our camp kids don’t just get to see their favorite people once a year — they get to see them multiple times. Our participants come from throughout California and Nevada, and even from across the country. Thanks to AFW’s volunteer pilots, we’re able to keep them connected throughout the year.
For me personally, as a burn survivor who has attended Champ Camp since I was five years old, I’ve now been a part of that camp for 26 years. When my family moved away from California while I was in sixth grade, I thought I would never be able to come back to camp because my family couldn’t afford to get me to Fresno. I was heartbroken because camp is my family.
Then I got a call from the foundation saying they could get me there if I was willing to fly on a small aircraft. Thanks to AFW, I was able to return to camp — and I never missed another year. I became a counselor-in-training, then a counselor, and now I’m part of the staff for a foundation that means so much to me.
I would have lost that connection if not for AFW. Thank you doesn’t feel like enough. You are changing lives and making a powerful impact in our communities.
