STORIES OF HOPE

Doctors told the family of Calib Wells that he would never be able to see or speak after a traumatic brain injury. “Mercy Flight got him to where he needed to go, and we knew he had a fighting chance,” says Calib’s mother, Theresa. It was September 11, 1998 when…

Maria was just thirteen-years-old when she was camping with family friends eight years ago. A young boy at the campsite discovered a gun and accidentally shot Maria in the leg. The bullet shattered Maria’s femur and pierced her femoral artery, causing life-threatening bleeding to occur. Maria’s sister called 911 and…

Maverick was just 8-months-old when a family dog suddenly bit him, causing serious trauma to the left side of his face and ear. The severity of the bite required immediate facial surgery and specialized care. Maverick and his mother, Erika, were rapidly airlifted by Mercy Flight to the Genesee County…

Stacey Eastman was in the wrong place at the wrong time when tragedy struck. It was October 16th, 2012 when she was driving home after running errands, and needed Mercy Flight’s critical care. "I was heading back home after picking up a pizza and a girl driving down the hill…

Since her first visit to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, Caylee has had ten bowel reconstruction surgeries and numerous other medical procedures. Currently, she and her family travel to Pittsburgh every other month for doctor appointments. The in-between times, when Caylee falls violently ill after appearing healthy, are when…

Steven and Debby of Gowanda were overjoyed by the birth of their son, Nathan. After a relatively routine labor and delivery, worries developed as nurses discovered abnormalities within Nathan’s chest. At just two days old, doctors found that Nathan had suffered a collapsed lung and required immediate medical intervention from…

In June 2017, Angelo from Genesee County was riding his Harley Davidson home from dinner when he swerved to avoid a deer and hit a utility pole. There he sat for hours, unable to reach his cell and waiting for someone to discover and assist him. Read his words below:…

It was November when Jarred, a high school senior, woke up to get ready for another day of school in South Dayton. Being that it was just like every other Monday morning, he doesn’t remember many details – like what he was wearing or what he ate for breakfast. What…

The only part of her life-changing car ride that 7-year- old Madison "Maddy" Phillips remembers is playing an alphabet game with her 6-year- old friend Tori Gibbs, Tori's brother Ricky, and Tori's grandmother Donna. In the game, the first person to locate and name an item beginning with a given letter wins. Then,…