I wanted to share with you the courageous story about 12 year old Darius from New Jersey who travels periodically to Colorado and Ohio for specialized care to treat VACTERL that requires renowned medical care that is not readily available in his area.

Since his mother Traci first called Angel Flight NE in 2014, we have been able to arrange nearly 30 missions for Darius so he can travel to Colorado Children’s Hospital and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital to meet with physicians who specialize in treating his condition. When general aviation has not been an option, JetBlue‘s generosity of providing free tickets, has made it possible for them to fly commercially.

Darius’s diagnosis of VACTERL Association has necessitated him to travel to medical centers across the United States. Angel Flight NE has been his steadfast companion, providing vital air transportation services from New Jersey to Colorado to Ohio, bridging the distance for Darius to access specialized care. Our volunteer pilots and supporters like the Alexion Charitable Foundation and JetBlue have contributed to significantly improving Darius’s quality of life, embodying the spirit of collaboration and compassion.

Our mission coordination team received a lovely note from Darius’ mother recently:
“Angel Flight NE has been a lifesaver for our son and our family, literally!

My son was born with VACTERL which includes chronic, incurable diseases, in which constant maintenance care, including many surgeries, medications, doctor’s appointments, treatments, is needed. We live in New Jersey and the only doctors that can treat him are at Children’s Hospital Colorado and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Without Angel Flight NE’s help, we could have never kept him in the best hands and I don’t want to think about where he’d be without their generous, caring support. Angel Flight NE made that happen, as they made arrangements to get us to and from the medical care he needed for multiple surgeries & doctors’ visits with such ease and compassion.

As a parent, having to not have to worry about not only the costs associated with travel but also the time it takes to arrange is a HUGE weight off of our shoulders. The pilots we’ve met along the way have shown us so much love and dedication to Angel Flight NE’s mission charity. We are forever grateful to have been and continue to be in their capable hands. Our love goes out to all the pilots and volunteers and staff at Angel Flight for all they have done for our family. THANK YOU ANGEL FLIGHT!”

We feel so blessed to be able to be part of Darius’ journey and provide him and his mother free air transportation so he can access the specialized care that he needs.

Please keep Darius and his family in your prayers.  As with all of our patients, they are forever a part of the Angel Flight NE family

Thank You and God Bless You for your support and belief in our healing mission. With your help and belief in our mission, we are able to ensure that distance is never an obstacle for patients, like Darius.