Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- Angel Flight West aids patients like Kara Fierro traveling for medical care.
- Fierro, a double lung transplant recipient, travels 800 miles for checkups.
- Volunteer pilots provide free flights, easing financial burdens for patients in need.
OGDEN — For Kara Fierro, a regular checkup requires traveling about 800 miles each direction to make sure the double lung transplant she received about a year ago isn't having any major complications.
"I get my X-rays, I get my blood work, I get pulmonary function tests done," Fierro said. "They do bronchoscopies once a year."
Fierro was born with cystic fibrosis, which primarily attacks the lungs. Before the operation, she was constantly coughing and often struggled to breathe.
"I was on 10 liters of oxygen before, and I'm an aerialist," Fierro said. That never stopped her, however. "I would maneuver around silks and around the tubing, but it was, it was so difficult. It was so hard. I was out of breath all the time even doing that."
Fierro is often seen wearing fancy ball gowns, which she says she does so that the oxygen tank isn't the first thing people notice. And because she may not have time to wait for a special occasion. Since she received her transplant, however, her condition has improved significantly.
But because she received the operation from Stanford Medical Center in California, she has to travel there regularly from Ogden for checkups. In addition, the appointments can mean the difference between life and death, as drugs that help her body adjust to the new lungs also make her more susceptible to certain types of cancer.
"The doctor said cancer is a matter of when, not if, you get it because it lowers the white blood cell count so it can't fight any sort of cancer cells at all," Fierro explained.
Making the regular trips to Stanford could significantly add to the already expensive medical care she receives. That's where Angel Flight West steps in to help. Volunteer pilots give their time and fuel to help Fierro make the journey. Because of the small planes, Fierro stops over halfway in Battle Mountain, Nevada, to trade pilots and planes.
"I've always had a love for flying," volunteer pilot Jerry Bollinger said. "It is really fulfilling to be able to help people out (who) are really having challenges in their lives."
Bollinger started flying with Angel Flight West in 1999 and has since flown well over 100 missions. In 41 years, Angel Flight West has flown nearly 106,000 missions for more than 20,000 different patients.
"All of the pilots have been fantastic," Fierro said.
And since her transplant, Fierro recently got to perform her aerial maneuvers on silks without an oxygen tank.
"It meant the world to me," Fierro said.
