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Red Cross Grateful to AirLifeLine Midwest Pilots
Written by Becky Orfinger, Staff Writer, Redcross.org
AirLifeLine Midwest pilots volunteer their time and services for the chance to save lives.
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September 25, 2001 — In the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C., airspace throughout the country was virtually shut down. But because of their commitment to saving lives, pilots from the humanitarian air care agency AirLifeLine Midwest were granted special permission to fly several emergency missions. One of these "LifeGuard" missions was flown as a service to the American Red Cross.
Two veteran volunteer pilots and brothers, Ward Montgomery and Colonel David Montgomery, transported seven cases of human skin tissue from St. Paul, Minn., to Peoria, Ill. Once they arrived at AirLifeLine Midwest headquarters in Peoria, four additional cases of tissue were loaded on to the plane and two other volunteer pilots flew the second leg of the lifesaving mission — from Peoria to American Red Cross Tissue Processing headquarters in Costa Mesa, Calif.
Because there is only a 90-hour window of opportunity in which human tissue can be used for skin grafts, heart valve transplants and other critical treatments, pilots Lyle Clapper and Norbert Ptaszek had to leave Peoria at 1 a.m. and fly through the night. The mission was successful, and the Red Cross processed the donated tissue into products that could be used for burn victims in New York and Washington, D.C.
"Our pilots are always moved by their missions, but there were a lot of tears with the ones having to do with the events of Sept. 11," said AirLifeLine President John Clark.
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"Our pilots haven't hesitated to fly any LifeGuard missions during this difficult period," said John Clark, AirLifeLine Midwest president. "These men and women are our silent heroes, time and time again helping agencies like the Red Cross do its lifesaving work. AirLifeLine Midwest pilots selflessly donate their time, their aircraft and flying expenses to help others."
Under normal circumstances, AirLifeLine Midwest's network of 500 pilots usually serve patients who are in medical and financial distress. Most often, said Clark, the missions take patients to distant medical facilities for diagnosis, surgery or treatment. AirLifeLine Midwest also operates an Organ Transplant Assistance Program that brings transplant candidates to hospitals located far from home. The humanitarian organization serves fifteen Midwest states, but (as in the case of the Red Cross tissue mission) occasionally works with other organizations to coordinate missions outside of the area.
"AirLifeLine Midwest and its pilots were proud to help the Red Cross and our nation in its time of critical need," said Clark. "We will continue to do so whenever called upon."
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All American Red Cross disaster assistance is provided at no cost, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people. The Red Cross also supplies nearly half of the nation's lifesaving blood. This, too, is made possible by generous voluntary donations. To help the victims of disaster, you may make a secure online credit card donation or call 1-800-HELP NOW (1-800-435-7669) or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Or you may send your donation to your local Red Cross or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C. 20013. To donate blood, please call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE (1-800-448-3543), or contact your local Red Cross to find out about upcoming blood drives.
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