A Troubled Beginning

Needing More Help

Fast forward to 2025. Todd was on the bridge between adolescence and adulthood, and now he needed even more help. His aorta was showing signs of narrowing. This would require having at least one stent inserted to keep it open and follow-ups.

From Falling...

Unfortunately, Todd lives in a small town in South Dakota. The best doctors to perform the surgery he needed were in Ann Arbor, Michigan. His family did the math, and they came to a grim conclusion. They couldn't afford round trip airfare. Driving over 1800 miles wasn't feasible either. But if Todd couldn't get to Ann Arbor soon, his quality of life would decrease. If he delayed too long, it could even cost him his life. It felt like they were falling, with no way back up.



...To Flying

It was at this critical point that Todd's family found out about Mercy Medical Angels' volunteer pilot program. "Everything was very simple," said Todd's parents. "It was just a few emails and a few forms to sign, then we were ready to go!" The volunteer pilots flew Todd and his parents to Ann Arbor and back to South Dakota again. These free flights saved Todd and his parents a considerable amount of time and money - and most importantly, saved Todd's life.

"Angels For Us, They Were!"

Now, Todd is recovering from his surgeries and doing much better. He may likely need more help in the future, but at least now he and his parents know where to turn. "All the flights went so smoothly," said Todd's parents. "The volunteer pilots were always there and ready to go. This made our trip so simple, and no stress of driving for two days." Todd added his own point: "The volunteer pilots were wonderful and the flights were very enjoyable! Angels for us, they were!"