Volunteer David Hawley of Virginia Beach tackles a Fibber McGee closet in our office.

Today things are buzzing. This is Pilot Appreciation Weekend, which we call “A Gathering of Eagles.” We’re wearing jeans and cleaning our offices, and especially our desks (if we can find them!). David Hawley, our devoted volunteer of several years, is cleaning out closets, vacuuming, folding programs—he happily does anything he’s asked to do.

Angel Flight pilots will be coming in tomorrow for lunch, a briefing, and a very tasty and elegant dinner. This will be at the Virginia Beach Resort Hotel with its spectacular view of the Chesapeake Bay.

Our guest speaker at the banquet is Mr. Darrell Collins, the historian at the Wright Brothers Museum in Kill Devil Hills, NC. I’m told he’s quite a story-teller.

Another highlight of the evening will be recognition of the Pilots of the Year who represent our mid-Atlantic states and who have given extraordinary service. Only two are unable to attend (Delaware’s Brett Lunger and Kentucky’s Tony Schmidt). Those attending will be Charlie Poll (Ohio), Dale Shymkewich (Virginia), Kenny Hardin (North Carolina), Stephen Brumit (Tennessee), Dick Lawrence (Michigan), Cleve Benedict (West Virginia), and John Clough (Pennsylvania). Other Angel Flight pilots will be coming in, as well as their wives and various friends, board members and other guests.

Another honor to be given is for the Volunteer of the Year, which happens to be a group, Dave and John’s Remembrance Golf Tournament Committee. For three years, these big-hearted folks from RJ’s Sports Pub and Restaurant in Newport News have held a golf tournament to benefit Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic. They’ve raised almost $24,000 for our charity, and they’re planning to do it again in September. Kudos to Joel Carrillo, the committee chairman, Birdo Oneal, the Aide-de-Camp, Boyd Clark, sponsorship chair, and Ronnie Johnson, owner of RJ’s Sports Pub and Restaurant. Ronnie has donated food, support and the use of his restaurant for post-tournament activities.

Before I forget, I must give it up for Emily Altman, the college student interning with me in public affairs. She wrote and “pitched” news releases about our pilots of the year from their respective states, resulting in seven or so feature stories or publication of her release in various news outlets. It seems people are hungry for uplifting news when so much is negative.

The sentiment I’m feeling as I consider the freely-given gifts of all these volunteers is one of huge gratitude. Mother Teresa’s words seem aptly to describe their cheerful service: “The miracle is not that we do this work, but that we are happy to do it.”

Because of fellow VOAD member organizations, I know this guy will be safe in a disaster

If you missed me last week (and folks, I know you wait with baited breath for my Wednesday posts), it was because I was out of town, attending the spring meeting of the Virginia Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD). This organization, be it the national, state, or regional group, is another aspect of the charitable world that I was unaware of in my previous industry. As I’ve now spent some time with our state VOAD, as well as our regional contingent, I feel much better knowing that they are around.

The purpose of VOADs, at least as I have been able to discern in my short time, is to breed familiarity among volunteer organizations that will be on scene after a disaster. The biggest surprise to me, however, was the myriad organizations that come to the table. We’ve all heard of folks like the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and the United Way, but I was blown away by the sophistication and organization from groups like the Churches of Scientology Disaster Response and Mennonite Disaster Service.

Most heartening, though, was knowing how well thought out the whole process is … specifically, one detail. If I am ever in a situation where I’m evacuated, I’m glad to know there are procedures, policies, and, most importantly, supplies in place that factor my dog Gibbs into the equation. (Was this whole paragraph an excuse to use a picture of Gibbs in the post? Well, that’s for you to decide.)

Having just moved back to the Hampton Roads area, I remember that this is hurricane territory … something I didn’t have to worry about in New Mexico. But disasters happen everywhere, as the tragedy in Japan this month has unfortunately reminded us. Knowing, though, that there are people who dedicate their time and energy to helping above and beyond the official response is a great thing.

Autumn Grace has taken two Angel Flights to Shriners Hospital for Children in Philadelphia, where a leading specialist performed surgery on her right arm to correct a disorder called brachial plexus. The arm was injured at birth and was "like a piece of spaghetti," her mom said, but now has much-improved mobility.

“No travel, no treatment. No treatment…no cure. No cure…no life.” 

These words spoken by Edward  Boyer on the occasion of receiving AARP’s celebrated Inspire award in New York City three years ago succinctly capture Mercy Medical Airlift’s charitalbe mission and operations. 

You can see  a segment of his address on You Tube.  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJISOi2IiKM) 

From MMA’s inception over 30 years ago to the present day, Ed has sought to educate the American public as to why there is a need for patient travel. And that indeed is a major focus of my job as public affairs director.

Recently, he told me about his conversation with a prominent official in the medical community who asked that very question, “Why travel?” If physicians don’t understand that not all illnesses can be treated at the local hospital, how much more uninformed must be the general public. 

Today I read a letter from a Michigan father whose son was undergoing cancer treatment at the community hospital.  “We were at a point in his treatment where a second opinion was necessary,” he wrote.

The family was referred to a physician at Sloan-Kettering in New York. The dad goes on to say that his son had heard of Angel Flight, and following a call to request assistance, the flight was arranged.

“The doctor in New York determined that my son needs a treatment that would necessitate returning to New York a few more times as the treatment is only available in New York [italics mine]. It is a very big relief to know that Angel Flight is there to help and support us in our time of need.” 

Letters like this come every week, reconfirming the value of our mission but also reminding us to keep proclaiming, “No travel, no treatment…”

The backdrop of today, March 11, is Japan. News of mass destruction and loss of life from the earthquake and tsunami weigh heavily on us as we go about our daily tasks—but our tasks, too, bring us close encounters with human suffering.

And yet there has been good news today. Two bright young interns came to work this morning, joining another who’d started here just a week ago. They’re all students, and they’re all unpaid. They’ve come to help, to gain experience, and to teach us, too. After we gave them a furiously fast introduction into the mission and operations of Mercy Medical Airlift, they jumped right in. 

I’ll start with Emily Altman (pictured right), the intern who came last week. She’s assisting me by writing news releases and articles for newsletters and websites. Emily is a senior at Virginia Wesleyan College in Norfolk—conveniently, the school is only a few miles from our office.  She’s a communications major and BA candidate who, besides being a full-time student, holds a full-time job and has written for the Virginian-Pilot. Three days a week she comes to work at MMA, beginning at 8:30 and leaving at 2. She’s been busy talking to our Angel Flight pilots and writing news releases highlighting the pilots of the year for the mid-Atlantic states. She said to me, “It’s moving to see these pilots go above and beyond. They put their wallets, wings, and personal time out there to help people they’ve never met and who they may never see again—and they’re happy to do it.” 

Angela Harrison and Nick Northern are working collaboratively to enhance our social media presence. Angela is a graduate student at Old Dominion University pursuing a PhD in professional writing and new media. She holds an MA in English literature from George Mason University, a BA in English from Virginia Wesleyan College, and an associate’s degree in social sciences from Tidewater Community College. She’s knowledgeable about social networking, computers, and video production, and has had several positions as an adjunct instructor and research assistant at various colleges. As her mentor, Dr. Liza Potts, at ODU put it, “She’s one smart cookie!” Angela says she’s hoping to bring awareness of what we do at MMA. “Through social media, we can have greater connectivity, and utilize and share information.” She went on to say she hoped “to bring a little bit of joy” into the days of those who view our Facebook postings and other media sites by showing “all the good things that are happening.”

 Nick, like Emily, is a senior at Virginia Wesleyan, carrying a double major in communications and English as he pursues a B.A. degree. He also plays on the college lacrosse team. Nick has expertise in videography, marketing, and social networking. He previously held an internship with the One Love Festival in Virginia Beach and has been a youth camp counselor and security officer. “I’m excited and pretty proud to help with an organization that’s doing so much good. I believe in the cause and am glad I’ll be able to spread the word.”

What an extraordinary gift to MMA, these three. They have heart, they’re smart, and they all work hard—and for free, devoting themselves to giving out our message of hope in both traditional and innovative ways.

Coming from the “for-profit” world, online rating websites are nothing new. I’ve experienced the highs and the lows of organizations like TripAdvisor many, many times. Folks that love your services can be your biggest advocates, but the flipside is also true. How do you navigate that process? We know we do good work, but also know that you can’t please everyone.

Charity Navigator, a site many people rely on to help them determine if a charity is “good” or not, has recently changed its user interaction area. Before, visitors could leave comments about their experiences with us. Now, that particular section of individual charity profiles is managed by another group called GreatNonprofits. GreatNonprofits is to charities what TripAdvisor is to hotels. What’s great is that its content is incorporated into multiple sites evaluating charities. This means that we could potentially get more reviews shared about us on a site than we would otherwise.

One of the things that sites like TripAdivsor has added in recent years is the ability for the places being reviewed to supply a response to a negative (or, for that matter, a positive) response. GreatNonprofits affords us the same opportunity, something I think is very cool. That functionality allows us to clarify and explain, or in many instances, thank folks who have taken the time to share their opinions about our mission and our service.

Of course, you can’t have expected me to share about this valuable new service without asking you to take the time to share your thoughts about us at their site. As long as you’re not a paid employee (or formerly a paid employee) of MMA, follow the link and tell them what you think. Click on the orange “Write a Review” button. Mercy Medical Airlift profile at Charity Navigator

(Editor’s Note: Gil McMillan, MMA director of development, writes today’s blog, reviewing MMA’s mission and partner charities while reminding us of the importance of public outreach.)

I just love this season of the year as the air becomes milder and the trees come alive with birds.  I’m not certain if it’s the warmer weather, the anticipation of the beach days or just seeing family and friends more often at summer cookouts—whatever it is in the air, it causes me to reflect and think of family and close friends that I missed seeing during the winter months.  It also reminds me of our generous donors and friends of Mercy Medical Airlift.  Please take an opportunity to visit with us. The ocean is just a few miles from our office.

Allow me just a few minutes to share some basics about MMA and its further development of a number of programs that have shaped the national charitable flight effort for over 30 years. Our founder, Edward R. Boyer, has won many honors, such as the National Aeronautic Association’s Elder Statesman Award, AARP The Magazine’s Inspire Award, and most recently, induction into the Virginia Aviation Hall of Fame. AMVET’s highest honor, the Silver Helmet Award, will be presented to Ed later this month.

Our stated mission has remained the same over the years: “To ensure that no needy patient is denied access to distant, specialized medical evaluation, diagnosis or treatment for lack of a means of long-distance medical air transportation. Further, it is to ensure the provision of urgent transportation in situations of compelling human need and homeland security emergencies.”

Here’s the heartwarming reality of that mission, as expressed by one of our Angel Flight clients, Laureen: “My brother, Bob has received word from his doctors yesterday…he is in TOTAL REMISSION from the leukemia! I want to thank you and your pilots for all the love and help we have received. One flight has saved a life!”

The robust partnerships formed over the years by Ed and the staff  have made this endeavor grow with great success. We were able to serve over 22,000 clients in fiscal year 2010 alone. These include children, veterans, cancer patients, rare disease patients—all in need of distant, specialized medical care.  They travel on Angel Flights, our program of over 535 certified volunteer pilots in the mid-Atlantic region who donate their time and aircraft. They travel on commercial airlines through our alliances with major carriers like Delta, United, US Airways, Southwest and American Airlines. When catastrophe strikes, they travel on discounted air ambulance flights arranged by Air Compassion America. And, when ground transport is needed, they travel on Angel Bus, our newest program that provides charitable tickets for commercial bus trips or rides on motor coaches owned and driven by volunteers.

While you’re on this website, please take time to read the stories of some patients we have served. Please keep in mind that our ability to help others is dependent on our ability to let the public know we’re here. I would welcome the opportunity to speak at your church, civic group, community organization, or special event to tell you and your friends more about Mercy Medical Airlift and all our programs that provide “the shortest distance between home and hope.” I look forward to hearing from you. Please call me at 757-271-2299 or email me at gmcmillan@mercymedicalairlift.org if you have any questions or want more information.

(Today’s blog is written by Marita Eddy, a Mercy Medical Airlift staff member embedded at the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Rare Diseases Research. Marita has served as the transportation coordinator there since 2004, arranging charitable flights for NIH patients using both commercial airlines and Angel Flights. The patients she assists refer to her with admiration and affection. “We love Marita,” are the words most often said of this warm-hearted, intelligent, and hard-working lady who is publicizing a very important project–finding cures for rare disease patients.)

  Around the world, today is known as Rare Disease Day, and I am involved, both personally and professionally. I challenge you to get involved, too. I’m not a scientist or a physician. I’m not active in legislative or policy-making pursuits. But I do have a family member with a rare disease. I listened to my brother as he worried every time his young son got sick. Even if it was just a cold, he had to be rushed to the hospital because his lungs might collapse.

That was 20 years ago. Through advances in medical research, technology and treatment, my nephew grew up, graduated from college and is a fine young man. He still has medical issues, but when he was born, life expectancy for a child with cystic fibrosis was 10 years.

Currently, about 7,000 rare disorders have been identified, of which about 80 percent are genetic. Although a rare disease affects fewer than 200,000 individuals in the United States, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an estimated 25 million Americans have a rare condition.

Some of those patients come to the NIH Clinical Center to participate in research studies. As transportation coordinator for Angel Flight at NIH, I may be able to help them with their air transportation needs. Angel Flight at NIH is sponsored by the Office of Rare Diseases Research and is a service of Mercy Medical Airlift. We provide flights of hope and healing for patients who otherwise would not be able to afford the cost of flying to their long-distance medical destination such as the NIH Clinical Center and facilities participating in the Rare Disease Clinical Research Network (RDCRN).

But today I’m joining scientists, physicians, researchers, health care providers, policy experts, advocates, patients, families and friends of those who suffer from rare diseases to participate in events to raise awareness about rare diseases and the importance of research to develop treatments and find cures.

What can one person do? Well, I’m wearing jeans today as part of the Global Genes Project and attending Rare Disease Day @ NIH, which is an event that is free and open to the public at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Visitors will learn about the Bench to Bedside and Undiagnosed Diseases Programs, as well as find out about rare diseases and translational science and the role of the NIH Clinical Center in the national clinical research spectrum.

What can one person do? You can support our efforts to provide transportation to patients by donating your unused frequent flyer miles. You can learn more about rare diseases, advocacy organizations, and what is being done internationally. Oh, and don’t forget to wear your jeans.

This past Monday evening, the Mercy Medical Airlift Board of Directors met for their first quarterly meeting of 2011. I was invited to attend, in part to be introduced to the board, but also to continue my education into the world of MMA and non-profit management. While this wasn’t my first exposure to the proverbial boardroom, it was my first time meeting the folks that provide the guidance for MMA. Other than concerns about the weather (which were pretty much unfounded), the trip went well, and I am very happy to have been afforded the opportunity to attend.

Something I didn’t know about directors in a non-profit is that they don’t take any compensation. In retrospect, I realize this understanding shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, but I guess I’d just never made the connection. So this group of men and women dedicate their energy and time (and for many, we’re talking considerable amounts of time) playing their vital role in the overall mission.

One agenda item that provided quite a bit of comfort to the new guy in the room was the one that read “Board of Directors Self-Evaluation.” The group had begun a process last year that would provide an opportunity for some self-reflection and evaluation, and a mechanism to review those thoughts together at the next several meetings. But what was reassuring was that this direction was not the action of a board in crisis attempting to right the ship. As evidence, one just needs to look at the financial stability coupled with program growth this organization has experienced in the past several years.

What the board’s project is about, though, is asking the question, “We do this pretty well now … but how can we do it better?” That’s a great perspective. It is easy to recognize the potential need to change when you’re failing. It’s even easier to enjoy success and rest on your laurels. To reflectively look at yourselves when you are succeeding is a much different story. And I’m glad to be part of an organization that isn’t afraid to ask itself the difficult questions.