Kyle: A Bright Future Mercy Medical Angels

Kyle was born in January, at an hour before the sun had risen. His mother, Brianna, “fell in love at first sight. He was so pure and perfect.” Brianna hoped Kyle would have a bright future.

Fast forward to June 2018, when Kyle was two and a half years old. Life was looking bright – until a dog brutally attacked him. Brianna rushed to the nearest hospital.

“Kyle’s body was lifeless in my arms,” said Brianna. “My heart broke as I was crying to the Lord, begging not to take away my heart and joy.”

When they arrived at the hospital, the doctors found Kyle a room and started treating his injuries. Even Brianna needed medical attention. The stress and fear of possibly losing her child prevented her from breathing normally.

Two weeks passed. Kyle was put on life support and was in a coma. “But baby Kyle was a fighter,” said Brianna. “All the doctors and nurses who took care of him fell in love with him.” Kyle continued to show progress, despite the grim odds. Kyle became known as “the miracle boy” around the hospital. His healing brought a bright light to all who took care of him.

Eventually, doctors told Brianna that Kyle could hear her. Brianna began to sing to him. As she sang, “tears dripped from my eyes.” Kyle was only responsive to Brianna’s voice. For a long span of 54 days, Kyle was in the hospital. He could only breathe with a tracheostomy tube. On top of this, Kyle still needed maxillofacial surgery to correct his broken jaw.

One of the doctors had told Brianna that World Pediatric Project might be able to help Kyle. Two representatives from the organization came to visit them. They knew of a doctor who could help Kyle. This doctor was based at VCU. The problem was, VCU was thousands of miles away from Belize, Kyle’s home country. “We could have never come up with the money to travel on our own,” said Brianna.

That was when Mercy Medical Angels came in. Through a partnership with American Airlines’ Miles for Our Wellbeing program, Kyle was able to fly from Belize to VCU. The first flight to treatment resulted in a surgery that put plates in Kyle’s face, to set the broken bones in his jaw. For the second operation, the plates were removed. In addition, Kyle no longer needed the tracheostomy tube to help him breathe, so doctors removed it – “which we are so happy about!”

Almost a year has passed since Kyle’s accident. “He’s on his way to a strong recovery,” said Brianna. She had been “lost and confused” when the injury dimmed chances at a bright future. Brianna had been worried that Kyle would have lived with constant suffering. She was also concerned that Kyle would be bullied at school “for something that had caused him so much pain.”

When asked what she would say to donors, Brianna chokes up. “Without you,” said Brianna, “who knows what the outcome would have been?”

“Kyle was one of many who got the opportunity of a lifetime, thanks to you.”

When illness and injury cast shadows on a child’s life, the situation can look truly hopeless. Mercy Medical Angels and American Airlines change this. With the help of Mercy Medical Angels and American Airlines, children like Kyle can travel towards the bright sunrise of hope.