Billie's Story~
Six-year-old Billie lives in the remote South Australian town of Bramfield, on five acres with her mum Bec, dad, two siblings, and a brood of chickens, rarely without one affectionately tucked under her arm.
The family moved to Bramfield in search of a quieter life: space to run free, room to grow, and a close-knit community that suited their children’s needs. According to Bec, the move delivered everything they had hoped for.
“The lifestyle, community and school have been incredible,” she says. “The only real challenge has been accessing specialist medical care for Billie, her siblings, and for me.”
Billie is a joyful, animal loving second grader, who brightens people’s day with her unique personality. She lives with several complex conditions, including Autism, ADHD, Prader-Willi Syndrome, Pica, and more recently, suspected Narcolepsy. She requires ongoing care from a large team of allied health and medical specialists — support that simply isn’t available locally. Bec, who also lives with chronic pain and medical conditions herself, is Billie’s full-time carer.
“Our children are the joy of our life but between the three of them, all with high needs, we require a lot of support,” Bec explains. “We work with an incredible team, including an incontinence nurse, behaviour intervention specialist, occupational therapist, speech therapist, dietician and nutrition specialists, physiotherapist, and inclusive educators at school. Daily support officers are essential to help them learn and thrive.”
With medical appointments regularly taking the family to Port Lincoln and Adelaide, accessing care had always been exhausting. Before Angel Flight, these trips meant up to 10 hours of travel each way, overnight stays, and often pulling the children out of school.
Everything changed about a year ago, when Bec was in Port Lincoln for her own medical appointment and a speech pathologist suggested Angel Flight.
“I honestly couldn’t believe a service like this existed,” Bec says. “We’d spent years doing those massive trips, juggling kids, pain, stress, and logistics — thinking there was no other option.”
Living remotely, the drive alone is around 7.5 hours, often stretching closer to 10 with the additional stops their children require. For Bec, who suffers from severe nerve pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, osteoarthritis, and prolapsed spinal discs, long drives are extremely painful and not viable financially or logistically viable for her family.
“Angel Flight has been a lifesaver,” she says. “It’s taken such a huge burden off my plate. I can focus on my children’s needs without the added time, stress, and pain.”
With flights and ground transport organised, never at any charge, the family’s routine and budget has transformed. Angel Flight’s support has made it possible for Bec to travel with just one child at a time, return home within days, and keep the rest of the family in their familiar routines.
“This has reduced the impact on their schooling and overall wellbeing so much,” Bec explains. “It’s also helped build their independence and confidence — they’re learning they can cope, be supported, and still feel safe.”
It also means that the child attending appointments receives calm, one-on-one attention, without the added stress of siblings navigating an unfamiliar and often overwhelming environment.
Bec says the warmth and understanding shown by Angel Flight volunteers has been just as impactful as the flights themselves.
“Most places we go, we face a lot of misunderstanding around our children’s behaviours and sensory needs,” she says. “Getting strange, or even horrified looks has become ‘normal’ for us.”
“With Angel Flight, it’s different. The drivers don’t just overlook things, they actively help distract, soothe, and support the children. That makes such a difference in helping them settle and function safely.”
“The volunteers and staff truly feel like wizards navigating the city with us,” Bec laughs. “The compassion and consideration we experience every time has exceeded all expectations.”
For Bec and her family, Angel Flight has made essential medical care accessible and life-changing.
“We simply could not do this without Angel Flight,” she says. “This service makes it possible for families like ours, living in very rural and remote areas, to access the care we desperately need. We are so incredibly grateful to every single person who helps make that happen.”
Health Professional Referrals
Health professional referrals play a vital role in ensuring patients of all ages in rural and regional communities across Australia can access the care they need—without the added burden of long-distance travel or associated costs.
If you support rural patients who require specialist care not available in their hometown, we encourage you to consider requesting an Angel Flight on their behalf. To do so, simply register as an Angel Flight referrer via the link below, and our team will be in touch with further details:
https://www.angelflight.org.au/missions/register/healthprofessional/add
In addition, Angel Flight also provides flights for health professionals working in rural and remote locations that are difficult to access. If you would like to request a flight for yourself or your colleagues, please register using the same link and contact our team to discuss this service further.