Life with a Rare Condition

Peyton lives in Pennsylvania with her parents. Her home state is filled with hills, valleys, and river rapids. Sadly, Peyton’s life is marked by difficulty, like trying to survive on difficult terrain. She has a rare condition that affects about .01% of the population: CHARGE Syndrome. 

 “Peyton has a complex medical condition,” said April, Peyton’s mother. “It affects nearly every system in her body.” Some of Peyton’s biggest health concerns come from the heart problems associated with this rare condition.  

Out-of-State Specialists

Peyton’s parents aren’t the kind to quit, even if it means driving across state lines for medical care. The best specialists who deal with her rare condition are at Boston Children’s Hospital.  

Driving from their small town in Pennsylvania to a big city in Massachusetts was getting tiring and expensive. It spanned more than 300 miles, just going one way. But things were about to get worse. 

New Problems

Peyton was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease on top of CHARGE Syndrome. The specialists referred her to see someone in North Carolina. 

This trip would be even longer than driving to Boston Children’s Hospital – more than 7 hours and almost 500 miles. Flying wasn’t an option either, as round-trip airfare was too expensive. 



One question raced through the family’s minds: how would Peyton receive the care she needed? 

Help From Free Medical Flights

That was when Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic, a program of Mercy Medical Angels, came into the picture. Volunteer pilots donated free medical flights to Peyton and her parents. The volunteer pilots were fully prepared - in more ways than one. 

“Her doctor cleared her to fly without oxygen,” said April, “but I was concerned. Both pilots offered oxygen to Peyton. This was huge!” 



The free medical flights from volunteer pilots made it possible for Peyton to receive the care she needed in North Carolina. And they didn’t stop there. When Peyton needed cardiac surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital, the volunteer pilots stepped up once again. 

"Our Pilots Were Incredible..."

When asked how Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic helped Peyton, April can’t hold back her emotions.  

“Our pilots were incredible,” said April. “They took their time, listened to our needs, and made sure our kid had everything she needed for a safe flight.” 

Peyton’s difficult journey isn’t over yet. But with free medical flights from Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic, she doesn’t have to hike through her health issues. Instead, children with rare conditions like Peyton can fly over their problems – and they don’t have to do it alone.