Charitable Flight Assistance Changes Teen’s Life
Cluster of Conditions
When Emma was 14, she was a competitive dancer and in her freshman year of high school. The future was a wide-open door. Then, the door slammed shut. Emma began to have hundreds of non-epileptic seizures a day, plus episodes of fainting and a sudden loss of muscle tone. The seizures damaged her brain to the point of causing speech difficulties.
“I went from competing in dance to being mostly bedridden,” said Emma. She missed all four years of high school. As time went on, doctors diagnosed her with encephalitis, celiac disease, asthma, and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). This cluster of conditions was causing her quality of life to rapidly deteriorate.
From Hardship...
Emma sees a neurologist in New York City, New York. “There is nobody in Arkansas qualified in this field,” explained Tamara, Emma’s mother.
The appointments were initially over telehealth. However, a problem came up, and it was a big one: the neurologist was switching back to in-person visits. Emma and Tamara would either have to drive for 18 hours or fly 1,077 miles – and that was just going one way. However, they couldn’t afford a long drive, let alone a round-trip ticket on a commercial flight.
“We barely have enough money to pay bills and eat,” said Tamara. But if Emma couldn’t go to the neurologist in New York, her life would continue to get worse. The stress was burdening both Tamara and Emma. What were they supposed to do?
...To Hope
Just when things were getting truly dark for Emma, angels arrived with their light. But help didn’t come from angels in the usual sense - it came from Mercy Medical Angels! Teaming up with The Hogan Foundation and United Airlines, Mercy Medical Angels provided charitable flight assistance to Emma. Tamara was able to fly with her.
“Mercy Medical Angels made it easy for us to book a flight,” said Emma. “United Airlines was accommodating of the fact I needed a wheelchair, and I was pushed to each gate.”
Once in New York, Emma was able to see the neurologist. He gave answers and treatment. And with them, he gave her hope that her life would improve over time. The door to Emma’s future was beginning to open again.
"It Meant The World To Me..."
Now, Emma is back home. She is currently catching up on schoolwork, in hopes that she can attend college someday. She may even be able to take up dancing again. Emma said that her quality of life is improving. The charitable flight assistance truly made a difference.
“It meant the world to me that I could continue seeing my doctor,” said Emma. “I am confident that he can help me feel better soon.”
“Thank you so much!”
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