John (age 6) and Eleanor (age 8) suffer from a rare genetic disorder, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, that affects motor neurons in the spine and is characterized by progressive weakening. They have taken numerous flights with Mercy Medical Airlift from their home in North Carolina to Stanford, California, where they are enrolled in a clinical trial under the care of Dr. Ching H. Wang. Mercy Medical Airlift is proud and very glad to help children like John and Eleanor receive the treatment they need.

Photo courtesy of MC2 Olivia R. Giger, NAS Fallon Public Affairs Office

Spc. Tim Hall, who lost both legs due to a mortar blast in Afghanistan, celebrated Christmas at home in Hawthorne, Nevada, with his loving family and friends who welcomed him with flags, banners, and signs praising their hometown hero. Mercy Medical Airlift’s partner charity, Air Compassion for Veterans, arranged a round-trip air ambulance flight donated by FedEx (provided fuel) and Omni Air Transport Ambulance with the AeroCare Medical Transport team.

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Tim is now back at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, continuing his rehabilitation.

James has fun in a leaf pile despite his medical problems.

The Internet is a powerful tool for patients and families seeking information about rare disorders, among all the other things found on the super highway. Through an Internet support group, Ashly and Ronnie discovered Dr. Frank Hanley, the renowned pediatric cardiologist who could help their eight-month old son.

Baby James had turned blue right after he was born. At the University of Maryland Medical Center, testing showed he was suffering from a rare condition known as tetralogy of fallot. James was born with almost no pulmonary artery. He underwent surgery, with the surgeon installing a conduit for the missing artery.

 “The doctors thought it was successful,” Ashly said. “It worked for about three months. But then they noticed that the heart wasn’t doing as well.” Read more…

When Shirley H. was diagnosed with breast cancer this past December, she and her husband, Duane, were devastated. The couple lives in Black, Alabama, near Dothan. Duane’s father has been battling cancer for 10 years, and Shirley’s mother also has the disease, but in her case, none of the different treatment regimens prescribed have succeeded in “getting the cancer under control,” Duane said.

The Cancer Center in Arlington, Texas, was recommended for its high success rate in sending cancer into remission, and Shirley insisted that “she had to go to Texas. She was not willing to play games with this cancer and her life.” Read more…

By: Tim Homa

“I have outlived my prognosis of six months by seven and a half years because I am able to travel through your service,” said Alice.

Alice, 55, uses Mercy Medical Airlift to fly from her home in Ohio to Arkansas, where she receives treatment at the Winthrop Rockefeller Cancer Center. In 2002, after a series of physical problems and the task of caring for her mother who had suffered three strokes, she was diagnosed with nonsecretory multiple myeloma. This is a rare variation of multiple myeloma, a cancer of the plasma cells in bone marrow. With nonsecretory multiple myeloma, the body fails to secrete a protein, and the bone marrow looks normal, allowing the myeloma to travel through the bones undetected.
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A rare disease can dim the human spark but in the case of three Chesapeake, Virginia brothers suffering from RP, or retinitis pigmentosa, the smiles are radiant. Ryan, 20, Justin, 18, and Jordan, 14, take Angel Flights every two years to Harvard Medical Center to be treated for a genetic eye disorder that gradually leads to loss of vision. The boys receive experimental treatment from the nation’s leading RP specialist, Dr. Elliott Berson.

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Chana’s fifth birthday this year was more than cake and presents. On August 28, she was flown from San Diego back to her home in Monsey, New York, 40 miles north of New York City. The trip, provided through Mercy Medical Airlift’s charitable ticket program, enabled Chana to see a world-renown osteopathologist and a specialist in vision development. Chana, who has Down’s Syndrome, suffers from complications in vision coordination.

The bubbly little girl is in very good health compared to other children with Down’s Syndrome. However, her optical complications require special attention. Doctors have recommended surgeries and glasses, but an osteopathologist in San Diego treated Chana a little differently.

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Mercy Medical Airlift is 25 years old, cause for celebrating the tens of thousands of patients who have benefited from charitable medical flights throughout the years. To recognize the many dedicated individuals who have contributed to the growth and development of our charitable services, MMA hosted a banquet on May 9 in Gainesville, Virginia, at the beautiful Heritage Hunt clubhouse and featured highlights from the new documentary, Mercy Medical Airlift: Compassion Takes Flight.

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