Free Medical Flights Make Child's Operation Possible
Rush to the Hospital
In 2018, a dog brutally attacked Kyle. His mother, Brianna, rushed to the nearest hospital. “Kyle’s body was lifeless in my arms,” said Brianna. “My heart broke as I was crying to the Lord, begging not to take away my heart and joy.”
When they arrived at the hospital, the doctors found Kyle a room and immediately started treating his injuries. Even Brianna needed medical attention. The stress and fear of possibly losing her child had affected her ability to breathe normally.
Little Fighter
Two weeks passed. Kyle was put on life support and was in a coma. “But baby Kyle was a fighter,” said Brianna. “All the doctors and nurses who took care of him fell in love with him.” Kyle continued to show progress, despite the grim odds. Kyle became known as “the miracle boy” around the hospital.
Operations Needed… Thousands of Miles Away
For a long span of 54 days, Kyle was in the hospital. He could only breathe with a tracheostomy tube. On top of this, Kyle still needed maxillofacial surgery to correct his broken jaw.
One of the hospital staff knew of a doctor who could help Kyle. This doctor was based at VCU Hospital in Richmond, Virginia. There was just one problem: it would require traveling to the United States, thousands of miles away from Belize, Kyle’s home country.
“We could have never come up with the money to travel on our own,” said Brianna.
Free Medical Flights Make Operations Possible
That was when Mercy Medical Angels came in. Through a partnership with American Airlines’ Miles for Our Well-Being program, Kyle was able to receive free medical flights from Belize to the United States.
The first flight to treatment resulted in an operation that put plates in Kyle’s face, to set the broken bones in his jaw. Not too long after, Kyle needed a second operation to remove the plate. Mercy Medical Angels came through once again. Soon, Kyle no longer needed the tracheostomy tube to help him breathe. One last time, Mercy Medical Angels provided a free medical flight so doctors could remove the tracheostomy tube.
“The Opportunity of a Lifetime”
Brianna had worried that Kyle would be in constant suffering. She was also concerned that Kyle would be bullied at school “for something that had caused him so much pain.” But now, years have passed since Kyle’s successful operations, and those fears are gone.
When asked how Mercy Medical Angels changed Kyle’s life, Brianna chokes up. “Without you,” said Brianna, “who knows what the outcome would have been? Kyle was one of many who got the opportunity of a lifetime, thanks to you.”
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