Risks and Red Tape

Joseph went to a VA hospital nearby, hoping to find treatment. There were two ways the oncologists could help: surgery or radiation. Joseph is in his middle age, so being cut open was risky. Radiation could damage the surrounding tissue, and possibly contribute to cancer in another area of his body.

“They were ready to just cut it out,” said Joseph. Worse, Medicare didn’t cover a less invasive procedure. That meant he would pay out of his pocket. 

Sound Treatment

Luckily for Joseph, there was a much safer option. It was called high-intensity focused ultrasound, or HIFU for short. HIFU works similarly to focusing sunlight through a magnifying glass to burn a precise hole in a piece of paper. Instead of sunlight and a magnifying glass, HIFU uses sound waves and a transducer. This only destroys the tumor, leaving the surrounding tissue untouched.

“My sister-in-law works for the specialist,” said Joseph, “and she arranged for me to meet him for HIFU.” There was just one problem. The specialist who could help Joseph was in Atlanta, more than 1,500 miles away. Treatment was expensive enough, without the high cost of a round-trip flight added. How could Joseph get to the treatment he needed?

 

To the Rescue

Just when hope was starting to run out, Mercy Medical Angels helped Joseph fly over his problems. The nonprofit arranged travel through a partnership with Southwest Airlines. 

“I had to travel across the country,” said Joseph. “Assistance like yours really does help.”

"One of Many Blessings"

When someone asks Joseph how Mercy Medical Angels and Southwest Airlines changed his life, his answer comes straight from the heart.

“We consider your charity one of many blessings. The people who made this possible are too many to number. From the office staff who worked around a timeline that falls on the holidays, to the people who pushed my wheelchair through the airport, thank you to everyone.”

Veterans like Joseph have already faced adversity in the combat zone. Some of them are thrown into a fight against cancer, and their new battle seems impossible to win. Mercy Medical Angels is there to help, flying them to and from the best treatment. When health and hope are restored, they can live safe and sound.