AeroCare flies boy home at no cost
AeroCare Air Ambulance Service of Illinois, US, has released a video covering its transportation of a sick 10-year-old boy home from Tampa in Florida to Michigan.
Image: Chandyn, and his parents, with AeroCare Transport Team made up of VP of Clinical Operations & Nurse Practitioner Becky Werth, Chicago based Chief Flight Nurse Keri Brach, and Scottsdale based Chief Flight Medic Eric Heetland.
AeroCare Air Ambulance Service of Illinois, US, has released a video covering its transportation of a sick 10-year-old boy home from Tampa in Florida home to Michigan.
Ten-year-old Chandyn Thompson of Rockford, Michigan was on vacation with his family in Tampa when he suddenly became ill, complaining of headache. He then vomited and was unresponsive. His parents rushed him to hospital, where he was diagnosed with an arterioveinous malformation or AVM. He underwent brain surgery in Tampa and needed to be transported home by air ambulance. The family opened a GoFundMe account to try to raise the funds necessary to fly Chandyn home and received donations. AeroCare pilot Charles Werth was alerted about the Thompson's plight from a friend who saw the story on the news, and contacted Joseph Cece, AeroCare’s CEO. After a conversation between Cece and the patient's father, the firm decided to donate the flight offer to fly Chandyn home at no cost, allowing the family to use the donated funds for the fourth-grader’s continued medical expenses and care. The bill for a flight of this type would usually come in at around $18,000, said company.
Cece commented: “On behalf of AeroCare’s entire team, it was an honour to be able to help this family in their time of need. We’re so pleased as an organisation that we could provide the transport for Chandyn to get back home to Michigan, and wish him a speedy recovery.”
The medical flight crew that accompanied Chandyn and his mother to Michigan consisted of Becky Werth, nurse practitioner and vice-president of clinical operations; Chicago-based chief flight nurse Keri Brach; and Scottsdale-based chief flight medic Eric Heetland. The mission was accomplished using one of the company’s medically-configured Learjet 35A planes with Florida-based chief pilot Mario Grajeda and director of operations (aviation) Captain Charles Werth at the controls. The team flew Chandyn to Gerald R. Ford International Airport and then accompanied him to Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids.
Werth said: “Chandyn has been delivered to his PICU where doctors and nurses were on standby to receive him. He did incredibly well in flight and AeroCare extends our thoughts and prayers for Chandyn’s recovery.”