Angel Flight West takes Yuma family to Phoenix for specialty medical care
YUMA, Ariz. (KECY, KYMA) - Yuma Regional Medical Center and Angel Flight West are bringing healing and hope to Yuma patients as the volunteer medical transport organization expands to Yuma County.
Tuesday morning, a local family family traveled to Phoenix for their son AJ's weekly medical appointment.
This week, AJ will arrive in Phoenix via airplane.
Due to medical complications at birth, the Liggett’s son, AJ requires important, regular medical appointments in Phoenix.
Travel is both difficult and time consuming for the Liggett family, who also have a 8 year old daughter and run a local electrical business.
Travel time for AJ, his mom and dad will be reduced to approximately one hour each way, as opposed to their usual six hour round trip.
AJ, who uses a ventilator to help him breathe, will experience greater comfort.
His mom Alexis will have more time and energy for both of her children in the evening, as her trip will be less difficult.
And the best part is the cost for the family to travel is free.
This is made possible by Angel Flight West, a nonprofit organization that connects volunteer pilots with patients to fly them to medical appointments at no cost to the passengers.
Angel Flight West and YRMC’s Pediatric Patients with Chronic Health Needs Committee collaborated to identify the Liggett family as one of this year's first recipients of Yuma-based flights.
Their hope is to bring awareness, so more local families who travel for medical care can utilize Angel Flight West’s services.
YRMC’s Pediatric Patients with Chronic Health Needs Committee was formed two years ago.
The goal of the committee is to identify ways to improve medical care and processes, easing the burden for our area’s younger patients with chronic diseases.
For more information on Angel Flight West or to request a flight, visit www.angelflightwest.org/need-a-flight/. In addition to connecting with potential patients, Angel Flight West is hoping to connect with Yuma-area pilots who are interested in donating their time and cost of a flight to patients in need.
More information can be found at www.angelflightwest.org/pilot-page/.
