Long range medical transport of the inexpensive variety

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xpanterica

New Member
Greetings, y'all.

I've got a bit of a situation brewing which has had me doing a lot of research but not getting a lot of results.

My mother is bedridden with MS in Southern California and has been for over a decade. Her primary caretaker is her mother, my grandmother. Unfortunately, she (my grandmother) was just diagnosed with late stage pancreatic cancer and probably does not have very long to live.

I've been trying to find a way to get my mother here to the DFW area and situated in my home. I suppose I could rent a van with no seats in the back and drive straight through for a day, but I fear this method will put undue stress on my mother and her weakened state.

A more desirable option would be a cabin class airplane to get her across half the country in a much shorter amount of time.

Does anybody have any contacts I can try in this arena? I'm a regional first officer of little means, and she is on a fixed-income, so cost is obviously a concern.

Thanks for your time!

-Kevin
 
You work for Eagle right?

I would see if there is something AMR can help you with.
 
Corporate Angels Network might be able to help. They usually take people to get treated but you never know.
 
On top of what's already been suggested, have you checked with a local Angel Flight org yet? Not sure if they'd have resources to move somebody via stretcher, but they might have some contacts on top of what's already mentioned. I heard rumors of some guy in PA who had a cargo door mod put on his Navajo for situations like this.
Also, what about private ambulance? Not sure of the situation with insurance/medicare/ medicaid anymore, or cost-effectiveness, but it would probably be more comfortable/safer than a cargo van for her if it turns out ground is the only way to go.
 
I was under the impression that Angel Flight patients had to be able to load/unload themselves from the airplane.
 
Thanks everyone for the responses. I've emailed Corporate Angels Network. It looks like Angel Flight would not be a possibility due to my mother being relegated to a bed/ gurney.

I talked to the Wings Foundation, founded by AA Flight Attendants, and my next move will be to talk with someone at AMR HQ to see what resouces and or connections might be available to me.
 
Corporate Angel Network is a great organization but they only transport cancer patients to and from treatment centers. I volunteered there full time for two summers. I would call the National Patient Travel Hotline. This was the number we referred people to at CAN when we couldn't help them out for whatever reason. 800-296-1217

Good luck!
 
I would try and work with AA - they often can put stretchers on airplanes (takes 9 seats), I think it is going to be the big method of transporting critical patients in years to come - much cheaper than learjets. I think I will be doing this per diem for kids in the years to come.
 
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