MAT Program
Austin: Fighting for mobility – and praying for a miracle
Thirteen-year-old Austin was diagnosed with hypotonia, which is a weakness of the muscles, and severe pediatric scoliosis as an infant. Since then, his mom, Kristi, estimates that he has had more than 60 spinal surgeries. The family, who lives outside…Wings of Hope Helps Former Teacher Seek Answers at the Mayo Clinic
Kacey Booth was working full time as a high school teacher and had just earned her license to be a K-12 principal, when her life went into a tailspin. “I was working and living life when I had four asthma…Meet Abriya
When Belinda learned that her newborn baby girl was born with one leg shorter than the other, a condition known as limb length discrepancy, she took her to a specialist in Virginia near where she and her family were living…MAT Patient Update: Valentina
After Two Years and a Dozen Flights, This High School Grad Is Ready to Take on the World After Two Years and a Dozen Flights, This High School Grad Is Ready to Take on the WorldBefore heading off to her…Why We Fly
Meet SofiaSofia’s first Wings of Hope flight from her home in western Kansas was her second time traveling to Shriners Children’s St. Louis. The first trip took 12 hours one way by car.“We’re so grateful they (Shriners) suggested Wings of…Meet Brock
Five-year-old Brock was a “beautiful, chubby baby,” according to his mom, Emily. But once he transitioned off formula, he couldn’t tolerate solid foods and wasn’t gaining weight.“He kept growing taller but getting thinner and thinner,” said Emily.Doctors in Brock’s rural…Frequent Flyer Micah Has Mixed Emotions About Last Flight
Micah is one of Wings of Hope’s frequent flyers. Born with one leg shorter than the other, the now 16-year-old has been flying with Wings of Hope from her home in Kansas to Shriners Children’s St. Louis since she was…Flight Requests on the Rise for MAT Program
This past August, the Wings of Hope Medical Relief & Air Transport (MAT) Program completed 21 patient flights to care. In September, the MAT Program completed 16 flights in Wings of Hope aircraft. These numbers don’t include the limited amount…Gracin: From Braces and Crutches to Cleats and Championships
PHOTOS: (left) Gracin in October 2017: her first Wings of Hope flight. (right) Gracin in July 2021 after pitching six innings and leading her softball team to the league championship.Thirteen-year-old Gracin was born with one leg shorter than the other.…MAT “Mom” Karen Andrews Off to new Adventure
Flight Operations Manager Karen Andrews has been scheduling flights and patient schedules for the MAT Program since she joined the Wings of Hope family in 2013. Karen is the liaison who coordinates medical appointments, flights, accommodations and travel between the…MAT Making a Difference
Our mission at Wings of Hope is changing and saving lives through the power of aviation. Here’s how our Medical Relief & Air Transport (MAT) Program is changing one life in a most powerful way. “Wings of Hope has literally…Navajo Flight Marks Beginning of Expanded Reach for MAT Program
In late August, Wings of Hope officially extended our flight radius for the Medical Relief & Air Transport (MAT) Program from 600 to 900 miles from our St. Louis-area headquarters with the inaugural flight of our recently acquired Navajo. Our…Leslie Cuppett, MAT Pilot
Being Wings of Hope’s only woman pilot seems notable — to just about everyone besides the pilot in question. After all, this isn’t the first time Leslie Cuppett has been the only woman in the room. She was the only…New Piper Navajo Expands MAT Program Reach
Wings of Hope is so pleased to welcome the newest member of its fleet: a 1975 Piper Navajo PA-31-310. President and CEO Bret Heinrich, seen here with Ron Vlach, the Navajo’s former owner, says, “This is an important day for…Wings of Hope Visitor has Special History with N206KY
We were recently honored to receive a very special visitor. Sandy Turner’s family once owned our Cessna 206KY. The plane has toured the world saving lives. It is now in St. Louis, and our hangar crew is all-hands-on-deck getting it…Future Wings of Hope Pilot Stops by Our Hangar
Frequent flier and future Wings of Hope pilot, Mason, stopped by our hangar after a recent appointment at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Mason, 8, whose case of clubfeet is more resistant to treatment than most, is on his way to…Stephanie’s Difficult Path to Walking
Sometimes, the only path to healing for a child with severe medical needs is one we’d all wish to avoid. Stephanie was born with caudal regression syndrome, a rare genetic birth defect that impairs the development of the lower half…A Mom’s Thank You
Want to know how much our Medical Relief & Air Transport Program means to the families of the children we transport? Read this note from Amanda, the mother of a little guy we fly for treatment of clubfoot:"Walking is always…22-Year Old Logs 22 MAT Flights
Although about 85% of the individuals we transport are children, we place no age constraints on those we serve. Sometimes, we begin transporting our patients as children and continue to fly them well into adulthood. This is the case with…MAT Program – Here, There and Everywhere!
By Karen Andrews, MAT Coordinator As the coordinator of our MAT program, it amazes me how I can put a few details into motion and our excellent MAT team will bring it all together. Let me tell you what I…Meet Griffin
Griffin is one of our youngest MAT patients. Before he was even four months old, he had already made three round trip flights from his home in Ohio to St. Louis Children’s Hospital for treatment of bilateral clubfeet. His parents,…Meet William
a Wings of Hope Frequent Flier! Did you know that about 90% of the individuals we serve in our MAT Program are frequent fliers? One of our youngest frequent fliers is William. He was born with clubfoot and arthrogryposis, a…Meet Lilyanna
Lilyanna was born with clubfoot, a condition that affects about one baby in every 1,000 in the United States. Clubfoot is a birth defect that causes a child’s foot to point inward instead of forward. Clubfoot is painless in a…Justin & Melissa, “Night for Miracles”
On February 14, 2015, Wings of Hope held it’s 13th annual “A Night for Miracles Dinner & Auction, with 100% of the proceeds from the event going directly to fund-ing our MAT Program. The MAT program helps people like Justin…Claire
After many trips to the pediatrician, 2 year old Claire was diagnosed with HLH, a rare autoimmune condition that can be life-threatening. It began damaging her liver and spleen, and treatment required 9 months of blood transfusions, chemotherapy, heavy steroids…
