Spam Email Lands Flight for Joey
About to head out the door for the airport, I felt led to check the AeroAngel spam email folder. The last of several dozen junk emails was one two days old from a father seeking a flight for his son, Joey, who recently suffered a life-threatening illness while on a train headed to Montana. Joey, who had been airlifted to Denver Children’s Hospital, needed another flight to St. Paul, Minnesota, for more treatment. I emailed a quick reply thinking I’d probably not get a response. But, before I could get out the door, Joey’s dad called. He explained the immediate need. A few minutes later, I was at the airport and able to ask one of our aircraft owners if he would help with the flight. He said yes, and a departure the next morning was planned.
As we banked for the approach into Downtown St. Paul (KSTP), a big smile could be seen on our special passenger’s face — the first smile since his medical emergency. As Joey looked into the cockpit on his way out the door, he was definitely hinting that next time he wants a seat up front!
(A special thanks to Miracle Flights for Kids and St. Paul Flight Center for their red carpet service.)