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Stories of Hope

Joniel’s Story

By December 3, 2020No Comments

For Amy and Jonathan Rivera and their newborn son Joniel, Mercy Flight was there when minutes mattered.

On Tuesday, August 18, 2020, Amy Rivera, in her thirty-fifth week of pregnancy, went into labor and delivered her son Joniel at Olean General Hospital (OGH). Although babies born prematurely may exhibit symptoms ranging from mild to serious, the OGH medical team realized that Joniel urgently needed specialized care. Mercy Flight responded with the Oishei Children’s Hospital of Buffalo (OCH) Neonatal Intensive Care Unit transport team to airlift Joniel to the facility where he would receive the critical care he needed. Joniel arrived at OCH within two hours of his birth and was treated immediately. His parents expected him to spend up to a month in the hospital, but he was able to go home after five days. Today, Joniel is thriving!

“In our greatest time of need, Mercy Flight was our beacon of hope. We will be forever grateful to Mercy Flight and their team for what they did for Joniel,” said Amy Rivera.

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