SUBSEQUENT TRIP REQUEST: 7th and 8th flights.

Ty is a 12 month old baby boy from Dulacca near Miles / Roma. He has Hydrocephalus (Water on the Brain) and required a specialist review in Toowoomba. This Angel flight alleviated the financial and travel stress that a long drive would have imposed on the family.

Rural Health Angel Flight story

By Helen Walker - Country Life Newspaper

As Angel flight Charlie Xray Xray was cleared for departure at the Roma Airport Doreen O’Neill, checked her seat belt and that of her 18 month old son Ty, and sighed, "This is a real blessing".

The Angel flight from Roma to Toowoomba was in the command of Patrick Gibbs, the chief pilot for Argyle Charter, a member of the Black Group of companies.

This mission was carried out onboard the Rolls Royce of the single engine planes, a Cessna Caravan, which has been donated personally by Craig Black of Black Toyota.

This flight was Patrick and Charlie Xray Xray’s sixth Angel Flight mission.

Angel Flight Australia is a charity that co-ordinates non-emergency flights for medically needy people and this flight was arranged for Doreen and Ty to travel to Toowoomba for a medical check up.

At just 18 months of age, Ty is a Angel Flight frequent flyer veteran, as this trip was to be his seventh, and return trip home later in the day his eighth.

Ty was born with Hydrocephalus or in lay person’s term 'water on the brain’.

As the name implies, it is a condition in which the primary characteristic is excessive accumulation of fluid in the brain.

Although Hydrocephalus is known as 'water’, the water is actually cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) surrounding the brain and the spinal cord. The excessive accumulation of CSF results in an abnormal dilation of the spaces in the brain called ventricles. This dilation causes potential harmful pressure on the tissues of the brain.

Ty was born with this condition, and he endured his first operation at eight weeks of age.

As a result, he is one of the medically needy, and needs to see a pediatrician in Toowoomba, and neurologist in Brisbane rotating every second month.

It is an ongoing condition that will need monitoring for the rest of Ty’s life.

And as the plane taxied down the runway for takeoff, Doreen continued:

"Having discovered Angel Flight is a blessing, as the travel that is necessary to keep these medical appointments just doesn’t knock Ty about.

"Once we are airborne he will just go to sleep, as he really is an old hand at flying."

And sure enough after Ty kept a firm eye on take off, he settled into his capsule to enjoy his flight sleeping.

Doreen and her husband Buck, have recently moved to Roma Downs, on Roma’s outskirts.

"We were living outside Dulacca, and one of our reasons for moving was to be closer to medical attention for Ty.

Ty is the youngest of the couple’s three children.

That morning Doreen dropped her older two children Gus aged seven, and Max aged five, at the school bus stop, and thanks to the Angel Flight service, she was back waiting at the bus stop to collect them in the afternoon.

Doreen heard about the virtues of the service through her sister Christine McNaulty.

Christine is a member of the Weengellon Campdraft Committee, and they ear marked Angel Flight as one of its charities from funds raised at the annual campdraft.

The family’s local Roma doctor, Dr Don Hatcher is also registered with Angel Flight, and it is he who accesses the service when it is required.

"It is amazing that there are so many pilots and companies that donate their time and planes to provide this service," Doreen said.

"It is really unreal, and you don’t realise that there are so many generous people out there."

Once of the ground in Toowoomba, Doreen and Ty were met by Rae Percival, who is a volunteer Earth Angel.

"Having the Earth Angels is simply wonderful," Doreen said.

"They just take over the responsibility of getting us to our appointment on time, and then they return us back for take off."

So far Angel Flight has conducted over 4000 missions helping over 1600 patients, while the number of heath professional registrations is approaching 1400.

It really is a wonderful service, as the pilots donate their time, their skills, and the bulk of their aircraft costs for each of the missions, so for patients and their carers travelling to or from medical facilities anywhere in Australia, the flights are free.

Read about a previous mission for Ty (M1936)

Patrick Gibbs - Pilot

Rae Percival - Earth Angel
(Rae's 12th & 13th Angel flight)

Angel flight 1 & 2 by Patrick Gibbs
This is Patrick's 6th & 7th Angel flight

Comment by Patrick

"All went well on Friday with Ty and Doreen. We had smooth travelling and Ty slept all the way on the return trip to Roma. Helen Walker from the Country Life newspaper came with us in the morning and she enjoyed the flight."

Ty buckled up and ready for take off

Patrick checks on Ty in-flight

Patrick, Ty, Doreen and Rae