As his eyesight gradually diminishes, Jose Reyes Del Valle has naturally found himself turning to various friends in his time of need — especially as reliable medical transportation can now be a bit of a challenge. Fortunately, two of Jose’s newest friendships happen to be Angel Flight West volunteer pilots Trevor Moody and Yuriy Chanba.
Together, Trevor and Yuriy have flown Jose on two round trips between his home in rural eastern La Grande, Oregon and the OHSU Casey Eye Institute in Portland, where Jose’s eyes always benefit from expert medical treatment. If not for the speedy support of Angel Flight West, this trip of over 250 miles would be a laborious four-hour drive for Jose.
A father of three young children — including Jose Juan, who is always game to accompany Dad on his flights — Jose is proud to have a loving family who depends on him. Since his diagnosis, however, Jose has been unable to continue his labor as a fieldworker. Support from Angel Flight West and from the OHSU Casey Eye Institute has been invaluable in Jose’s attempts to keep close watch over his progressive vision loss.
Air support for Jose and his family is a stellar example of Angel Flight West’s reach and reliability. Based out of Portland, Yuriy flies a Cirrus SR20 and, since becoming an AFW volunteer in 2019, has flown 42 missions for the organization. Trevor, a volunteer pilot based out of Renton, Washington, flies a Diamond DA42 and is a key member of AFW’s Board of Directors.
Together, Yuriy and Trevor ensure Jose’s dependable care isn’t limited to his medical visits but is also a central feature of the trips that link him to expert vision support.
These medical trips even serve as important bonding experiences for Jose and his son. As Trevor recently noted in a pilot’s log, Jose and Juan Jose are “great passengers. The son is only 13 but is very mature and [does] a great job helping his father.”
We’re happy to help them, too.
Do you know someone who needs help traveling to medical treatment within the 12 Western States? Learn more about requesting a flight with us.
Article by David Radcliff
