Angel Flight
I just wanted to put this information out there for those on this site who are from outback, remote, rural or regional Australia, who have problems with getting to and from medical appointments, treatments etc( problems with distance, costs etc), there is a service out these that some people it seem have never heard of, or thought of using it is called ANGEL FLIGHT.http://www.angelflight.org.au/
It is a non emergency service that uses pilots and small planes to fly people from local airstrips to airstrips near their appointmentsFOR FREE, they then use their Earth Angels to pick you up where the plane lands and drive you to your appointment etc and then return you to the airfield afterwards.
These pilots volunteer their time, planes, services, cars etc to help (They are all certified pilots etc) those who otherwise would have difficulties or financial and family hardship getting the medical attention and treatments they need.
To use this free service you need to get someone from your medical team (Doctor, Nurse, Breast Care Nurse, and Social Worker etc) to either contact Angel flight to discuss the case or to register as a referring health profession via the Angel Flight website.
You must be ambulatory to use the service (i.e. able to get on board etc without pilot help, be able to sit up in the plane with a seatbelt on and communicate with the pilot, if necessary), and can (in fact they prefer) you fly with a friend or family member.
This is an AUSTRALIA WIDE service (although Angel Flight is based in QLD), they have pilots and Earth Angels all over the country.
This service can cut travel times down for some from day(s) to hour(s), allowing you t be back with your family sooner, and reducing the financial burden on the family as well. It can allow people to attend there appointment and be back home in less than a day instead of being away for days. It doesn't matter if you go there and back in one day or go down and return days/ weeks later after treatment, surgery etc (they even do runs for long term treatment and hospital patients (like those who are away from home for chemotherapy and radiotherapy, to get them home for the weekend or a week etc between treatments to help with their and their families emotional and mental well being etc). They are happy if you use it once in your life or if you use it once or more a week, whatever is needed.
While I have NEVER had need of this service (I am lucky in that I live in Canberra and most of my treatments are available locally, but if it had of been available when I was a child, we would definitely have used it (when I used to travel to Melbourne from Warrnambool lying on a mattress in the back of a station wagon, drugged up on pain killers, to make me able to make the journey, to the RCH to see my specialists), I know people who have and they say it is AMAZING, the Angel Flight pilots are wonderful people as are the Earth Angels, and it has saved them and their families many times.
I don't have anything to do with the company etc but know the difference it can make to patients and their families.
Anyway like I said I thought I would put this out there for those for who don't know about this service, but for whom this service might make a difference.
I hope I don't upset or offend anyone by posting this (but my thoughts are if you don't know about something, or a service etc you can't make use of it).
