Baby with Clubfoot Flies to Life-Changing Surgery
Painful Beginning
Eliana was born with clubfoot. At three weeks old, she needed surgery on the back of her ankles. Even as the doctors tried to stay ahead of Eliana’s growth, the problems with clubfoot also grew. Most of her infancy was spent in the hospital for further operations.
Dying Hopes...
Eliana’s condition only got worse. When she was nine months old, she needed a tenotomy. This specialized operation on her tendons would help her heal faster. However, this wasn’t offered at the nearest hospital. “We needed help to get to a new specialist,” said Ogechukwu, Eliana’s mother.
A specialist was located at Paley Orthopedic and Spine Institute. There was just one problem: the specialist was in Palm Beach, Florida, almost 650 miles from her home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Eliana’s family is low income, and they couldn’t afford a plane ticket. Driving would take even longer. But if she couldn’t get the surgery, Eliana would suffer for many more years.
...Now Revived
That was when Ogechukwu found out about Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic, the volunteer pilot program of Mercy Medical Angels. From the end of 2021 to the start of 2022, the volunteer pilots flew Eliana and Ogechukwu to and from Paley Orthopedic and Spine Institute.
“The pilots were God-sent,” said Ogechukwu. “They took care of us like we were their own.”
"Friendly, Kind, Caring, and Professional"
Eliana is now about to celebrate her first birthday. She’s doing much better after seeing the specialist. Once the casts come off, she’ll be able to walk and run and play.
When asked how to describe Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic, Ogechukwu can’t pick one word. Her words overflow with gratitude.
“Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic is friendly, kind, caring, and professional. The pilots made us feel comfortable and safe.” She adds, “Eliana wouldn’t have been able to get the surgery if it weren’t for you. Thank you!”
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