Hope Air keeps dreams alive

Seven teams pulled a plane weighing more than 50,000 pounds Wednesday at Hope Air's annual Haul for Hope at Kelowna’s KF Centre for Excellence.

"It literally saved my life," says Don Lee, who was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in August 2023.

At the time Lee was told he had a tumour the size of a baseball in his chest which was inoperable.

He says his wife was inquiring with his the healthcare system why it was taking so long to get an appointment after getting the diagnosis.

"She just happened to talk to somebody who said, 'well the person in charge (of) your case is on vacation, and, ma'am, it's palliative, so there's no rush,'" says Lee.

The news was devastating. But that's when they found Hope Air, Canada's only charity providing free travel support to those who must access medical care far from home.

"Hope Air has been with us every step of the way," says Lee's partner Carolyn Moon.

Lee was able to connect with a surgeon in Toronto who completed a procedure that would save his life.

Kelowna has been a critical hub for Hope Air, with over 7,285 travel arrangements provided for 800 local patients, and nearly 697 more for those travelling into Kelowna this year alone.

Pilots like Floyd Hill volunteer to fly patients from all over B.C. so they can get the treatment they need.

"It's nice to give back to somebody, you know, I mean, when I was young, I had some trouble, and I had somebody who was very kind to me and helped me go on the right road, which probably maybe made a big difference in my life."

Hill has been volunteering for 10 years now and has flown 100 flights of hope in his pressurized Piper aircraft.

"I think everybody needs to give back... A lot of people don't get the medical treatment they need because they can't get there. It's just too expensive, and they can't do it," Hill says.

The Haul for Hope helps raise the money to keep the plane flying so people like Don Lee can get the help they need.

Aside from raising money, the unique plane pull event symbolizes the immense challenges faced by patients who must travel long distances to access vital medical care.