By Chris Massarella | Head of Fundraising, Lia's Wings
We are delighted to share the following report, covering the results of our ongoing Pediatric Flight programme, across 2024..
In 2024, Lia’s Wings set a new record in terms of the number of aeroplane ambulance transfers we facilitated as a whole: completing 53 flights across those 12 months!
53 flights (including both neonatal, and pediatric missions) represents a roughly 55% increase in demand for our support - which is phenomenal!
Although our UK-based support increased steadily, that record-setting number also included many more missions overseas than we have ever undertaken before, all of which bring their own unique challenges: including increased distances and time, language and cultural barriers, and, vastly increased clinical complexity. Across the year we flew premature babies and critically ill children back to the UK from 14 countries - including the USA for the first time – to ensure they could all receive the life-changing, and life-saving care and support they desperately needed.
Importantly, 10 of those transfers were undertaken as part of our Pediatric Flight programme - double what we anticipated at the start of the year - towards which we received several donations from very generous donors and supporters. The overall costs of the project were (and continue to be) extremely high, but every donation we do receive towards those costs ensures that we are able to say "yes" to every family that needs us.
The flights we undertook through the Pediatric programme (both within the UK, and overseas), included air transfers for toddlers such as: Jacob, who needed specialist surgery at Great Ormond Street; Lena, who required life-saving chemotherapy after a sudden cancer diagnosis on holiday; and Sarah, who became extremely unwell whilst visiting family overseas (requiring urgent repatriation home, for specialist care).
We also undertook emergency rescue flights for a teenager overseas who had fallen from a balcony (suffering extreme injuries), and another who had sustained a broken spine after a similarly tragic accident during a family meal on holiday with her family amongst several others that were either life-saving, or life-changing for the children involved.
We are extraordinarily proud to have established ourselves as a charity with international reach, who are able to truly support children in urgent need not just the UK, but anywhere around the globe! However, we can only continue to grow – and to develop our services - because of the support of incredibly kind individuals such as yourself. For that, we are truly thankful.
In each of these instances, and with every call for help we receive, Lia's Wings continues to be the only option for children, and families in urgent need. We are so grateful for the support we have received, and as we enter the new year, the number of children we will be required to fly looks set to grow again.
However, your support means that we can be there to answer every call, and to be there for every family that needs us.
Thank you!
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