“You can go home now- the cancer is gone” – the doctors’ words that brought tears to Laurie Dickson’s eyes after five years of battling tongue and bowel cancer.
Laurie lives off the grid on a property in the Grawin Opal Fields, NSW and says he wouldn’t have it any other way. “A place where you can see the stars, and everyone says g’day.”
But when a health crisis strikes, including a broken neck, where he wasn’t discovered for 24 hours, it’s a very long way from help.
Having battled cancer for five years, Laurie is all too familiar with the Angel Flight service and says the pilots and drivers are some of the nicest people he has ever met. Angel Flight offers free flights and drives from rural areas into the city for non-emergency medical care and over the past 22 years have helped over 100,000 rural people like Laurie.
Laurie recalls his checkup visit to the dentist in his neighbouring town of Walgett when an ominous spot on his tongue was discovered. Two days later, Laurie was on an Angel Flight to St Vincents, Sydney where he was diagnosed with tongue cancer.
Since 2021, he has taken 23 Angel Flights, transporting him from Lightning Ridge to Tamworth and Sydney for various cancer treatments. The alternative for Laurie would be a grueling three days of travel- a hitch hike to Walgett, bus to Dubbo, train to Tamworth and another train to Sydney; where in Laurie’s experience ‘everyone is on their phone and no-one says g’day’ – an unfathomable journey for an unwell man.
“I can’t speak highly enough of both the pilots and the drivers- they are just marvelous”, Laurie says.
“One of my drivers, Trevor is a wonderful man. I have a walking stick, and he carries my bags for me and one time he even stopped at the shop so I could get supplies and some food for my travels.”
In January 2025, Laurie was overwhelmed with joy and relief to receive the news that he is cancer free and although this may not be his last Angel Flight, he can breathe easy knowing he has conquered the dreaded disease.
Angel Flight CEO Marjorie Pagani says, “Our pilots are instrumental in our passenger’s journey to health and we are so thrilled to hear Laurie’s positive news.”
“For people who live in remote areas, our free service is a lifeline during their darkest hours and without our help many would have very different outcomes.”
Angel Flight are not government funded and rely on donations from the public and organisations. To support the charity head to https://www.angelflight.org.au/support-us/support-angel-flight-australia/
