Woman with Thyroid Cancer Finds Care, Thanks to Volunteer Pilots
Diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer
Halie lives in a small town in North Carolina with her family. She works as a dental hygienist, and routinely checks her dental patients for signs of cancer. So when she was diagnosed with an advanced stage of thyroid cancer, she was shocked that she didn't notice the signs in her own body earlier. Worse, the cancer had been spreading undetected, and ended up in her lungs.
The Troubles Begin
But the troubles were just starting. Halie couldn't work anymore and had to apply for disability payments. While she was approved, it was barely enough to pay for all her medical expenses. Her savings were quickly depleted. Worse, a lot of the doctors nearby didn't know how to help her. She would have to go out of state for treatment.
From Midnight...
Going out of state for treatment was easier said than done. Driving would take too much time, and cost too much money. Halie briefly looked into commercial flights, then realized it wouldn't work. "There's not enough space for my medical gear and I'm immunocompromised." She felt like she was crying out for help at midnight, with nobody answering.
...To Daylight
As the saying goes, it's always darkest before the dawn. And when Halie applied to Mercy Medical Angels' volunteer pilot program for help, hopeful daylight penetrated her despairing midnight. The volunteer pilots flew Halie and her son from North Carolina to New York. Once in New York, she was able to find treatment from a specialist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
"True Angels!"
Now, Halie is back home. Her battle with thyroid cancer isn't over yet, but now she knows she has a powerful ally in her fight. The volunteer pilots of Mercy Medical Angels don't have to break the barriers to care - they simply help her to fly over it. Halie said, "It's so nice to know that there's a dedicated team that makes every effort to get you where you need to go. They communicated with me all the way. The pilots were all so kind as well, and they made my son and I feel so welcome." Her son even wants a career in aviation now, perhaps even flying as a volunteer pilot with Mercy Medical Angels. Halie said, "I encouraged him to go for it - because at Mercy Medical Angels, you all are true angels!"
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