The time consuming and costly business of receiving medical care in Boston or locations even farther from Downeast is being ameliorated by the goodwill of pilots around the country and the coordination of nonprofit organizations. With their own airplanes and bearing all the costs, an increasing number of pilots are merging their love of flying with the mission of helping those with pressing medical needs who live in remote rural areas. PALS SkyHope and Angel Flight East are just two that serve Washington County and coordinate patient medical care with pilots who are members of their organizations.
      Being able to utilize PALS to get to Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston made all the difference to Machias resident Janelle Look. "I had been advised to go to Boston from the very beginning because I have a very serious diagnosis." The thought of having to drive to and around Boston was overwhelming to her, so she didn't go and instead started treatment in Brewer. "But at some point along the way I started questioning myself and wondering if I'd made the right decision for myself and the treatment I had selected." The Beth C. Wright Cancer Resource Center in Ellsworth suggested she reach out to Dana Farber for a second opinion and that she use PALS to get there. "I didn't realize this service was available," she says, pausing. "I would have gone long before," if she had known.
      Dana Farber confirmed that the treatment Look was receiving was the best course for her diagnosis. "It's a tough journey," she explains. "From time to time you wonder: Are the treatments really worth it? The day-to-day living is hard on your body and your mental well being." Going to Dana Farber and hearing from them that "yes, you're doing everything you need to be doing to increase your chance of survival," she says, "gave me the push to keep going." Ever since her trip she's been sharing pamphlets about the service at cancer support groups. "I can't say enough good things about it. Those pilots, they could see I was a little bit nervous, and they just talked about whatever and put me at ease."

A rewarding experience
      PALS board member and pilot James Platz has been volunteering his flying skills for free medical care since 1996 and started with PALS in 2010. "I did my first flight and saw how much it meant to the patient. It's very rewarding to see how much it makes a difference." The bell went off that joining his love and skill of flying with helping others was the perfect combination.
      Platz explains that PALS arranges flights for medical care that is either not available locally or is not reasonably available because of time, finances or the patient's physical condition. "The mission is to make it so that transportation is not a problem." PALS will also fly relatives or friends with the patient so that the patient has the support they need. Patients have flown once, like Look did, or hundreds of times. "There are no limitations," Platz stresses. "We really want to help people."
      Because she has cerebral palsy, Alexander resident Teah Cobb cannot drive and was facing challenges to accessing specialized vision care with a specialist in Boston. A friend who had used PALS multiple times told her about it. She set up the PALS appointment online, and within 30 minutes her flight schedule was in the works.
      Cobb is not keen on airports but says, "This was amazing." Her sister, Willow Cobb, came with her. "I was so glad to have my sister with me; she handled the details with Uber. Otherwise it would have been so overwhelming." The pilots not only set up the Uber but asked if she needed a wheelchair and other assistance getting to and fro. "The flight was outstanding. The pilots were extremely friendly, answered all my questions." She adds, "I had no idea this existed."

Eastport and the cookie brigade
      PALS and Angel Flight East are always looking for more pilots and for getting the word out about their free services. For PALS that word of mouth is definitely working. Since 2010 they've had 70 patients using the Eastport Municipal Airport. In 2023 they had two, but so far in 2024 they've had 25, with 13 pilots serving the airport. PALS also utilizes other airports in the county. Cobb used the Princeton airport when fog prevented an Eastport pick up.
      The programs work with small airports that have runways in good shape, are a minimum of 3,000 feet long and that are plowed in the winter; that have a useful terminal with a restroom where patients can wait during inclement weather; and that don't have wildlife running rampant on the runway. Automatic weather reporting is important for the pilots to access while in the air. "Eastport is a good example; it checks off all the boxes," says Platz of the municipal airport.
      Patients and pilots utilizing the Eastport airport have the added benefit of a cookie brigade created by local resident Tessa Ftorek. She's been baking up a storm for when patients come and go but then realized that she wanted to be sure it continued if she was out of town. "I reached out to different people" for back up, and there are now six to eight bakers on call to whip up a batch or two of cookies for incoming or outgoing medical flights. Ftorek is so good at getting the word out that on occasion she now finds cookie making supplies left at her door.

Angel Flight East services
      Angel Flight East Patient and Pilot Engagement Specialist Maddy Beck explains that in Maine they have three active pilots in the Downeast region. They are a part of the Air Care Alliance and work with PALS, Angel Flight North East and others to coordinate patient care flights. They have primarily flown patients out of Bar Harbor and Lewiston but are working to get the word out Downeast about their services. They received a second grant to increase healthcare access in rural communities, and Maine was added to the list of states they can serve with increased resources.
      Beck stresses that Angel Flight East serves patients and their family members, even if the family member lives in a different location and requires a different flight from the patient. Similar to PALS, they understand how important it is for a patient to have the support of a loved one nearby. "Even if you think you don't qualify, call us."
      For more information about receiving patient services or volunteering as a pilot visit palservices.org and angelflighteast.org.