Free Medical Flights Help Child with Hirschsprung's Disease Find Care
Handling Hirschsprung's Disease
Maddix lives in Pittsburgh with his parents. He enjoys watching hockey games, especially when the Pittsburgh Penguins are playing. However, he suffers from a rare condition that makes it hard for him to live life to the fullest - Hirschsprung's Disease.
Hirschsprung's Disease is a birth defect where some of the nerve cells in the large intestine are missing. The nerve cells cause muscle contractions so waste can move through. Without the contractions, waste gets stuck in the colon. Complications that can arise include a severe infection called enterocolitis, which requires immediate treatment.
Receiving Treatment
The only way to treat Hirschsprung's disease is surgery and continuous monitoring. Maddix and his family were lucky enough to have an expert surgeon right in their hometown. After two operations and careful follow-up, it seemed like Maddix's life would get easier.
A Costly Trip
Then a problem came up. The surgeon moved to a children's hospital in Denver, Colorado. Not wanting to take any risks with their child's health, Maddix's parents decided to follow the doctor to Colorado.
However, this decision came with problems of its own. Traveling from Pittsburgh to Denver would be a long trip, and a costly one at that. Driving could take days; gas was prohibitively expensive. Flying would come with a considerably shorter time, but the price was still steep. How would Maddix receive the life-changing care he needed?
Help from Mercy Medical Angels and United Airlines
Maddix's parents spent most of their time trying to find a way to pay for the trip. "After hours and hours of searching the internet for financial resources," said Maddix's parents, "we found Mercy Medical Angels."
Mercy Medical Angels has a partnership with United Airlines - customers can donate unused frequent flier miles so patients can use them for medical travel. Maddix and his parents were able to use some of these donated miles so they could fly to Denver - for free.
"The staff at Mercy Medical Angels has been wonderful with helping set up transportation to get our family to Denver," said Maddix's parents. "The trip went off without a hitch."
"You Guys are Amazing!"
Now, Maddix is back home in Pittsburgh. He's doing much better after receiving the care he needed to treat Hirschsprung's Disease.
When asked how Mercy Medical Angels and United Airlines changed Maddix's life, his parents can't give a short answer. Their words spill over with gratitude and relief.
"Thank you so much for all of your help. You guys are amazing! We would not have been able to continue care with Maddix's surgeon if it wasn't for Mercy Medical Angels. Also, thank you to those who donated their miles so we could fly with United Airlines."
"We wouldn't have been able to do it without you. Thank you again for everything!"
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