Newspapers / The Chowan Herald (Edenton, … / July 10, 2002, edition 1 / Page 6
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Geri Wilson gets a last visit with family, on angels' wings BY AMELtA T. RE!HELD Geri Wilson believes in an gels, and for good reason. The Edenton. NC woman was in vited to a birthday party not too long ago. It would be a big deal, her father's 80th. and ev erybody - aunts, uncles, broth ers. sisters, nieces, nephews, and generations of cousins-, would be there in Akron. Ohio, celebrating. Everybody but Geri, that is. She longed to at tend, but it seemed that there was just no way. Because of her declining health from in operable cancer, neither driv ing nor catching a commercial flight was a good option. Char tering her own private jet was the stuff of fantasy. Enter the angels. These an gels are very much of the flesh and-blood variety, volunteer pilots affiliated with a nation wide organization known as Angel Flight. When people in financial need require trans portation to distant medical centers for treatment, when donated organs or blood need to be transferred from one lo cation to another fast, when disaster strikes and workers need to get to a small town quickly. Angel Flight and other charitable aviation organiza tions find a way- with private pilots, small airplanes, and public-spirited airports-to meet that need. Linda Raheely. director of Edenton's Hospice program, knew how much Geri Wilson wanted to get to Akron. Recalls Geri. "Soon after my referral to Hospice. 1 was asked what Choose Blue and Get More Bryan H. Buck, Inc. (252) 357-1966 t Customize your insurance needs with: * Biue Advantage' Pians * No Referrai HMO. PPO and POS Group Ptans ' Smai! Group Coverage * Long Term Care * Medicare Suppiement insurance * Denrai Coverage for individual & Groups * Biue Extras"' Discount Programs BiueCross BiueShieid of North Carolina i!onU2082d,l/U2 Z962#WD was the one thing !'d like to accomplish in the time remain ing to me. 1 made the remark that there were so many things, but that I'd really like to visit my dad. and my brothers and sisters again. My sisters and I see each other often, but we hadn't been all together in over ten years." Thanks to her husband's work for Mercury Air Center in Atlanta. Linda Raheely also knew about compassion flight organizations, and the miracles they work. All it took was a phone call to the mission coor dinator for Angel Flight of Georgia, based in Atlanta. Bernadette Darnell swept into action. Angel Flight had re cently joined forces with Make A Dream Come True, an orga nization that grants final wishes for terminally ill adults. "Lots of groups do things for sick kids, but adults need help, too," she says. The Edenton-to Akron mission was soon listed on their website, mass e-mails went out, and three pilots from Virginia, North Carolina and Ohio offered their services. "Angel Flight arranged ev erything to get me to my dad's birthday party," Geri recalls with amazement. She wasn't the least concerned about how small the airplanes would be. "I'd have climbed aboard a tor pedo. if it would have meant spending that time with my family," she says. Up, up. and away! On a beautiful Friday morn ing in May, Harlan Davis, a pilot from Farnham, Va., and his copilot, Ken Chatham, met Geri and her friend, Bob Wheal ton. at Edenton's Northeastern Regional Airport. He ushered the pair aboard his single en gine aircraft, a Cessna 182. and headed west toward Richmond. The next leg of the trip would be in an airplane even smaller, piloted by Bill Colleran, a stu dent at Ohio's Kent State Uni versity. It's a beautiful flight over the Blue Ridge Mountains in a Cessna 172, and Bob was enthralled with it all, the view, the charts, instruments, and communications. Geri dozed peacefully in the back seat. There was an air show in progress at Akron's Fulton MunicipalAirport, and the place was mobbed. "When our pilot told the controllers this was an Angel Flight," marvels Bob. "everybody got out of oUr way. It was like parting the waters." Geri's sister met the pair at the airport. The other six sib lings also knew what was up, but somehow they managed to save the news of their Edenton sister's arrival as a surprise for their father. The following afternoon, some 45 well-wishers had gath ered to celebrate the major milestone. "Dad, there's one more present." announced one of the sisters, and pointed at the pair coming toward him. B<66EST BEDD!M6 SALE I !M THE AREA . . . WH!LE THEY LAST! KiNGSDOWN EXTRA F!RM SETS Use Your Credit Card or . Convenient Terms... GOOD OUAUTY "Ovation" * Reg. $350.00 - Twin Size.SALE * Reg. $475.00 -Fui! Size...SALE. * Reg. $525.00 - Queen Size... SALE... * Reg. $775.00 - King Size... SALE $ $ 275 350" Set '395 =575' TW)N mattress or box spring BETTER OUAUTY "Warwick" .Reg. $475.00 Twin Size.SALE * * Reg. $575.00 FuHSize.SALE... Reg. $750.00 Queen Size...SALE... *450 *525 Set Set FULL mattress or box spring Reg. $1050.00 $17E s t King Size.....SALE... /#3 BEST OUAUTY "Nob!e" ^ Reg. $495.00 Twin Size t .SALE. 395 Set j QUEEN - sotd in 2 pc. set on)y - Reg. $650.00 FuHSize ..SALE". *525 Set K!NG - so!d in 3 pc. set onty w * EDENTON FURNITURE COMPANY 211 S. BROAD STREET PHONE 482-8418 "Dad just started bawling, and soon, I don't think there was a dry eye anywhere," Geri re calls. The emotional afternoon passed in a series of embraces. "One of my brothers came fly ing across the yard when he sawme. Twoofmyotherbroth ers who hadn't seen each other for a long time grabbed each other in a bear hug. I tapped one of them on the shoulder, and asked him if he could use one more sister, and when he turned around and saw me, he hugged me for at least five min utes. I don't think I could possi bly have had any medicine that would have done me more good." Sunday s flight back was an other beautiful ride. Bill, the college student who had so im pressed Geri and Bob, greeted them once again in Akron, and brought them as far as Danville, Virginia, where they were met by Mike Simmons, a pilot from Leasburg, NC, whose airplane, a Cessna Cardinal, is based at Danville Regional Airport. The hop back to Edenton would be just a little more than an hour. For Mike Simmons and the other pilots, it was another good day to go flying, especially for a good cause. For Geri and Bob, this was the trip of a life time. When Geri Wilson and Bob Whealton met and fell in love a year ago, they hoped to watch each other grow old. Then came the bad news. Now they're just hoping to spend the summer together. But thanks to the ef forts of total strangers, Geri was able to introduce her dear est friend to many of the other most important people in her life. "They welcomed Bobby with open arms," she says. "I hope he'll continue to be a part of the family." "I can't say enough good things about Angel Flight," vows Geri. "These pilots donate their time and talent, their gas and oil, the use of their air planes, the maintenance, and the airport fees, to people like me, and all they expect is a simple thank you." As for those volunteer pilots, they do it because they love to fly. It's a fine way to share their joy in aviation. To them, that pleasure, and the knowl edge that they made it possible for Geri Wilson to attend her last family reunion, is thanks aplenty. F#C%$ Compasston FFgF^s More about Compassion Flights Angel Flight, AirLifeLine, and other groups of pilots of fering their services at no charge to those in medical and financial need, can be reached through hospital social service workers, Hospice, and other medical professionals. Patients needing transportation to ma jor medical research centers for specialized treatment can ask that one of these organizations be contacted. The regional groups refer to each other, and coordinate their missions na tionwide through each other. Compassion flights aren't for every patient. Because small aircraft can be challenging to climb in and out of, and be cause volunteer pilots aren't equipped to care for passengers who are very ill, patients must be stable and ambulatory. Small aircraft often have strict weight limits, and passengers may be urged to pack light for their journey. Volunteer pilots meet strict criteria for training and expe rience. They must hold at least a Private Pilot's license with Instrument Rating, and have logged at least 200 hours of pi lot-in-command time. The air craft psed must be insured, and maintained according to FAA standards. The pilots donate their time and all of the ex penses of operating their air craft to the tax-exempt organi zations. Many airports and fixed-base operators offer these charitable flights a discount on fuel, and waive landing, park ing, and ramp handling fees. FAA Air Traffic Control gives the compassion flights special consideration as well, often shortening the routes and fa cilitating the take-off and land ing clearances. Pilots, medical professionals, and patients wishing to know more about Angel Flight and other compassion flight orga nizations can check out the fol lowing websites: Air Care Alliance- a group to which most compassion flight organizations belong-1-888-260 9707; www.aircareall.org The following organizations may. be contacted directly for more information on qualify ing for - or volunteering for - charitable flights. Angel Flight of Georgia 1-877-4AN ANGEL w w w. angelflight-ga.org AirLifeline 1-877-A1KHFK www.airlifeHne.org (Amelia Eeilzeid is a /reelance zoriler, plzoiograp/zer, and An gelElig/zlpiiol, carrenliy lining in Spariandarg, Soadz Caro lina. Size,/zer/zasdand,acoapie of cals, and a liille airplane, will ize mooing (o Edenion in early fail.) Crash Continued From Page 1 A Thomas Built Buses, which is now a subsidiary of Freightliner and a part of Daimler-Chrysler AG. In June, the company an nounced plans to build a new plant for school bus production. Founded in 1916 by Perley A. Thomas as Thomas Car Works, the firm's corporate headquar ters and manufacturing plants span more than 850,000 square feet in High Point. The company is a leading employer in Guilford and Randolph counties, with 1,460 full time employees. To subscribe To The Chowan Hera/d^ cai/ our office Today af 482-44 T 8 Maying Room For Now FaF Arn'oa/s/ UP TO 75% OFF ON SELECTED MERCHANDISE LADIES APPAREL * ACCESSORIES * GIFTS g 309 S. BROAD STREET * EDENTON, NC '(252)482-3848
The Chowan Herald (Edenton, N.C.)
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July 10, 2002, edition 1
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