Elderly Cancer Patient Flies to Life-Saving Treatment

June 12, 2025

Life Before Cancer

Henry lives with his wife, Martha, on a small farm in Alabama. For many years, they gave back to their community as foster and adoptive parents. Since all the children they adopted have grown up and left the house, Henry and Martha were about to enjoy their retirement. But they didn't expect something that would derail all their plans.


Dreadful Diagnosis

Henry went to the doctor for a routine check-up and found out he had skin cancer. To be exact, he had Stage 2 spindle cell melanoma. This kind of cancer is fast-growing and dangerous. He needed to find treatment elsewhere. Henry's best chance at beating this dreadful diagnosis would be to seek treatment at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida.


From Roadblocks...

 Unfortunately for Henry, roadblocks emerged on his path to getting better. He and Martha were quickly running out of funds. They could afford their bills every month, but they couldn't afford repeated long-distance trips to medical care. The situation was looking bleak. How would they make it to Moffitt Cancer Center?



...To Removal

Henry and Martha applied for charitable air transportation through Mercy Medical Angels. They were approved. Mercy Medical Angels helped pay for round-trip airline tickets so Henry could fly to and from Moffitt Cancer Center. And with that, the roadblocks to care were removed.



"Wonderful to Work With"

When asked how Mercy Medical Angels helped Henry, Martha's answer spills over with gratitude and relief. "Mercy Medical Angels has been wonderful to work with. The trauma of having cancer is devastating, but having the help of Mercy Medical Angels to be able to travel to the best treatment center for a chance to beat cancer helps make it a lot less stressful."

Share this story with others.

Share your thoughts about this story.

Read More Patient Stories

By Stephanie Singer July 27, 2025
She needed help flying to a clinical trial for patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Find out how Mercy Medical Angels got her there... in her own words.
By Stephanie Singer July 23, 2025
Read the story of how a single mother received gas cards to access life-changing surgery, helping her and her daughter to have a better life... in her own words.
By Stephanie Singer July 22, 2025
He needed heart surgery, but the best doctors to help him were in another state. Find out how Mercy Medical Angels' volunteer pilot program helped him get there.
By Stephanie Singer July 21, 2025
Read the story of a patient with a rare blood cancer and how he was able to access treatment, thanks to charitable flights... in his own words.
By Stephanie Singer July 19, 2025
A female Veteran needed to get equine-assisted therapy at Quantum Leap Farm, but had no way to get there. Find out how Mercy Medical Angels and Southwest helped her.
By Stephanie Singer July 18, 2025
Find out how a single mother with multiple rare conditions found the best care possible, thanks to charitable flight assistance... in her own words.
By Stephanie Singer July 17, 2025
She was diagnosed with breast cancer, and opted for holistic and alternative treatments. Find out how Mercy Medical Angels helped her receive the best possible care.
By Stephanie Singer July 10, 2025
A disabled Veteran attended a peer support program known as Warrior PATHH, thanks to charitable flight assistance... you can read his story here, in his own words.
By Stephanie Singer June 30, 2025
Read how a patient with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and other conditions accessed life-changing care out of state, thanks to charitable flights... in her own words.
By Stephanie Singer June 22, 2025
Read how a Stage IV cancer patient flew to the care she needed... in her own words.