On Saturday 21st May at approximately 10.15am, Angel Flight completed its first Swan Hill Mission when a Cirrus SR22 light aircraft arrived with two very appreciative passengers on board.

Mark Jolly [16] and his mother Joanne were the grateful passengers, grateful because instead of having to face a long and tiring trip by road to and from the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, they were lifted up on the “wings of angels”.

Since Mark was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia in November 2004, Mark and his parents have made fortnightly trips to Melbourne to enable him to receive potentially life-saving treatment.

“Unfortunately, the medication can make him very ill and the long road trips are really hard,” Joanne said.

Shaun, Mark, and Joanne before their flight back to Swan Hill.

Arrival at Swan Hill.

Mark gets his photo taken with Shaun for the newspaper.

“Actually it was Mark who first told me about Angel Flight just after he was diagnosed but I thought you had to live a lot further away from the hospital to get their help. Then one day I was sharing with my Social Worker how we were sick of travelling and she suggested Angel Flight might be able to help us.”

Joanne said she is constantly amazed how life can suddenly turn around.

“Little things happen each day and I really appreciate how people want to help. I’m overwhelmed that pilots are willing to use their own planes to make our journey so much easier. They are incredible,” she said.

And “incredible” was the word on her lips following her first Angel flight from Swan Hill to Essendon on Monday 16th May.

“It was a fantastic trip, so quick and we really appreciated that,” Joanne said.

“It made a big difference we just couldn’t believe it. It was amazing when we went into some clouds and I didn’t know where we were and then when we came out, there was Melbourne. It was incredible!”

And it’s words like this that make it all worthwhile for Angel Flight pilots like Melbourne based, Nick Borley, who flew Mark and Joanne to Melbourne and Shaun Aisen who flew them home on Saturday following more treatment for Mark.

The flight to Melbourne was Nick’s first Angel flight and one he found extremely worthwhile.

“It was very rewarding knowing that somebody else was benefiting from something I would just normally go out and do,” he said.

“Mark sat up in front with me and both he and his mum were in good spirits and enjoyed the flight.”

Father of three young children, Nick said that the death of a friend had motivated him to want to put something back into the community.

“Sadly, a friend was killed when he pulled over to the side of the road to enable his wife to feed their young baby,” he said.

“I realized then that things can happen in your life to change things dramatically and you then don’t have the ability to do the things you planned. Helping more people is always something I’ve wanted to do and my friend’s death made me realize that it was time."

Angel Flight pilot, Shaun Aisen, for whom the flight from Essendon to Swan Hill will be his eleventh Angel flight, expressed similar sentiments.

“Why do I do it? Well, I suppose ultimately I get the pleasure of returning something back to the community, if I can bring pleasure to somebody else that’s good and if I can help them as well that’s even better. In fact it’s a special privilege to be able to help people by doing something you love to do” Shaun said.

“The fact that it is one-to-one help that you give is totally fulfilling. When I see the smiles on their faces and receive their feedback it’s absolutely wonderful. They seem to be totally satisfied by their experience and so am I.”

Thank you from Joanne

"The flight was great and Nick took great care of us. The least we could do for him was shout him a cup of coffee, I mean Latté. Bob drove us to the House, it was nice just being a passenger. Mark is looking forward to Saturday, our trip home, something I'd never thought I would say, and I have a tear in my eye reading the article the Bet has written, it makes me tingle with the thought of having this great service. We are so lucky and I hope we gain more awareness in the comunity with this mission.

Again thank you and we will keep in touch."

Angel flight 1 by Nick Borley
First mission for Nick.

"A good flight and enjoyed by both passengers and pilot. Hope I can be of assistance in the future."

Nick Borley - Pilot

Earth Angel duties performed by the
Leukaemia Foundation Volunteer Drivers (LF's 35th mission)

Shaun Aisen - Pilot

Richard Ogilvie -
Co-Pilot & Earth Angel
(Richard's 1st mission)

Angel flight 2 by Shaun Aisen
This is Shaun's 12th mission. Previous mission for Shaun - M277 AF2.

"Great flight, great people".

So far, so good, Michael and his mum Joanne smiling for a quick shot.