In His Own Words... "I contracted adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) a few years back. I went from one hospital to another to find treatment. There were great oncologist and hematologist teams helping me. They were about to start an aggressive treatment program, as the ALL was getting worse. But before they could start, all my teeth had to be removed." "I've been traveling all over the country for medical care over the past 8 months. This is hard on my finances - I'm living on social security, below the poverty level." "Mercy Medical Angels arranged commercial flights for me, using f ..read more

Return to Victory Junction Kareem attended Victory Junction last summer, thanks to Mercy Medical Angels' volunteer pilots. This spring, there was a family weekend at Victory Junction. Maryanne, Kareem's mother, jumped at the chance for Kareem to return to his happy place. Once again, the volunteer pilots soared into the situation. They were ready to help. Time to Shine Some of the activities over the family weekend were intended for campers and their families to do together. However, Kareem also received the chance to have fun on his own. Some of the highlights included photo ops, horseb ..read more

Born with Tibial Hemimelia Keilannie lives in Barbados. The island is known for tropical beauty. However, she can't run on the sand, dance around a beach bonfire, or swim in the crystal-blue waters. She was born with an extremely rare condition called tibial hemimelia. Tibial hemimelia means that Keilannie is missing crucial bones in her lower leg and foot. This leads to one leg being significantly shorter than the other, and all the mobility challenges that come with it.  From Falling Behind... Keilannie needed surgery to lengthen the leg that was affected by tibial hemimelia. However ..read more

In His Own Words... "I needed major back surgery. My doctor referred me to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota for the operation. It was December 2023 when I had this operation done. They said to return in two months for a post-op checkup." "I live entirely on my Social Security check. My funds are limited. It's too expensive to fly round-trip from my home in Ohio to Mayo Clinic. I was beginning to worry how I would pay for my flight to the post-op checkup." "Mercy Medical Angels arranged charitable flights for me on Delta Airlines. Thanks to them, I was able to fly to my medical appointme ..read more

In His Own Words... "I am a retired Veteran who proudly served 24 years on active duty in the US Army Military Police Corps. I have been deployed to Iraq twice, as well as Bosnia and Saudi Arabia. In the line of duty, I developed spinal cord issues that limited my movements. This affected my employability after serving." "I was on a downward spiral from depression and pain. My days were dark and full of dread. It was starting to hurt my family as much as it hurt me, if not more. I had to do something. I applied for healing retreats at Travis Mills Foundation in Maine, and Camp Southern Grou ..read more

Battling Brain Cancer Christopher has a rare form of brain cancer called oligodendroglioma. This kind of cancer starts on the "branches" of brain cells called glial cells. The cancer often goes undetected, until it spreads to other parts of the brain. When that happens, it can cause problems such as seizures. The doctors discovered Christopher had brain cancer before too many complications arose. Either way, the battle for survival had begun. Backing Up... It turned out that Christopher couldn't access the care he needed in his Western Kentucky hometown. He would have to travel to Housto ..read more

In Her Own Words... "I have a neurodegenerative disease, Charcot Marie Tooth (CMT) disease. It causes the peripheral nerves to die, which then causes muscle atrophy, and deformity. It makes my balance unstable, and walking is painful. In addition, I am a disabled single mom of 2 teens, with no family support. Maintaining my mobility and activity levels for as long as possible is hugely important to me." "Most foot & ankle surgeons have scant experience operating on feet like mine, although they try their best. My right foot has already been surgically altered by a local foot and ankle s ..read more

In Her Own Words... "My name is Gracie. I've been living with essential tremors and severe anxiety, facing challenges with resilience. Despite constant shaking, I pursue my dreams, supported by loved ones. My service dog, Amos, is my source of strength, bringing comfort amidst difficulties." "Doctors told me my best option for treatment was Deep Brain Stimulation, or DBS. Surgeons would implant electrodes and leads into my brain and chest. The electrical signals would go to affected parts of my brain and alleviate my symptoms. Unfortunately, the surgeon who would be able to help me best was ..read more

Small Collision, Big Consequences In 2023, Derrick was in great shape. His career was on the rise, and life was good. All of this changed when he ended up in a minor car collision. However, the effects of the collision were anything but minor.  "I fell hard," said Derrick, "and ended up with vestibular neuritis and breathing problems." Challenging Conditions Vestibular neuritis is a disorder of the inner ear. The inner ear plays a large role in balance and stability. When that doesn't work as it should, a host of conditions can result. A few of these include vertigo, chronic nausea ..read more

In The Family's Words... "We took in our great-nephew, Jason, 13 years ago. He has always struggled but in the last couple of years we realized he needs more help than we could provide. We had gone through three therapists, with no success. Our best option for Jason was residential treatment at the Barry Robinson Center in Norfolk, Virginia." "We live in Illinois, so we have to fly to see Jason. For seven months, we paid our own way to visit him. But that began to cut into our savings. We needed help. These visits are vital to our family's relationship." "Mercy Medical Angels helped us. Th ..read more