Sometimes wishes do come true, and they’re not always scripted by the likes of Disney writers, but by local heroes.
One such story is being written on and taking off of South African soil, and soaring through our skies to bring South African children the medical care that they desperately need.
We live in a country where many medical specialists are based far, far away from the areas of ill patients. For those who live without the heavy burden of financial strain, popping over to another province on a flight is not an issue. However, the reality for most people in our country, is that that sort of venture is simply not a feasible option. This leads to untreated or poorly treated cases, and it’s a tragedy that not even life-threatening cases see the government stepping in.
But there are glimmers of hope, and Wings and Wishes is the beam in the sky. Wings and Wishes are dedicated to transporting critically, and chronically ill children to medical care in whichever province necessary. Their efforts spread to children who are of families deemed financially less fortunate.
Their project relies completely on donations, but thanks to FlySafair, the organisation’s wings can sore with a little more ease knowing that the flights are going to be covered.
Through the airline, Wings and Wishes will be able to help 320 children and their travelling companions over the next 10 months.
They also provide compassionate but professional assistance to the children and their families.
“The tenacious determination that the Wings and Wishes team has for everything they do is one of the reasons we wanted to partner with them,” said Kirby Gordon, CMO at FlySafair, as per Good Things Guy. “As an operator in the travel sector that is taking longer to bounce back, we see a lot of our same fighting spirit in the NGO and we wanted to be a part of that.”
Currently, Wings and Wishes fund the flights of three children and accompanying adults daily. They’re also all about making sure the journey is as comfortable as possible, offering various care packages to the young ones. These packages include goodies like toiletries, comfy pajamas, some essentials and an activity or two for the hospital stay.
Thankfully, the organisation doesn’t forget about the children once the trip is over. They often commit to the family for a span of years, with continued support for travel costs until 18 years old.
“We are very excited about our relationship with FlySafair. Their assistance will ensure that many children get the lifesaving treatment they need,” says Human. “By sponsoring flights throughout South Africa, the airline is giving wings to children who wish to get better and lead a healthy, normal life.”
Picture: Unsplash