| Please contact Ryan
Cureatz (416-222-6335 ex. 222 or rcureatz@hopeair.org)
for further information and story opportunities.
2004-10-01
NEWS RELEASE
Provincial Airlines Brings Hope to Family
TORONTO, ON - When
Jonathan Buckle became seriously ill only days after his
birth, his mother, Tina, didn’t know what to expect.
Nor was she aware, at that point, of the relief Hope Air
and Provincial Airlines would give her family.
Jonathan was born five weeks premature at the Labrador Health
center in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. Days later, a medical
team rushed him to the Janeway Children’s Health and
Rehabilitation Centre in St. John’s, Newfoundland.
“Jonathan’s lungs started hemorrhaging his first
night at Janeway,” said Mrs. Buckle. “It was
a life-threatening situation.”
The seven-pound Jonathan had a heart
murmur, difficulty hearing and jaundice. He faced these
and other quandaries within the first breaths of his life.
And doctors weren’t sure of the cause. They did all
kinds of tests and, at one point, wondered if his illnesses
were genetically related. It wasn’t until five weeks
later, when Jonathan’s health had stabilized and Mrs.
Buckle was preparing for discharge, that doctors confirmed
an enterovirus was the culprit; though they still weren’t
sure which strain it was.
Mrs. Buckle caught the virus while she was still pregnant
with Jonathan, but her immune system fought it successfully.
Jonathan’s body was less resilient. As a result, the
virus had a grim effect on his vulnerable little body.
At one point, “It was touch-and-go for five or six
hours,” recalled Mrs. Buckle.
Enteroviruses can cause a wide range of common and uncommon
illnesses among infants and children, as in Jonathan’s
case. Mrs. Buckle has had to take him back to see doctors
at the Janeway regularly since his initial six-week stay.
“We don’t have the specialists in our area,”
said Mrs. Buckle. “So I have to take Jonathan to Janeway
for his treatments.”
The first time Mrs. Buckle needed to travel back to the
Janeway for Jonathan was in February, 2004. Jonathan required
an MRI examination, hearing test, and visits with specialists
in perinatal development, neurology, physiotherapy and cardiology
- all over a three-day period. The problem was she couldn’t,
at the time, afford the cost of traveling from her home
to the hospital for her son’s appointments.
Thankfully, a social worker at the Janeway
told Mrs. Buckle about Hope Air.
Hope Air is a registered, national charity that helps Canadians
in financial need travel to required medical care outside
their home communities. Through Hope Air, Mrs. Buckle was
able to get a complimentary flight from Happy Valley-Goose
Bay to St. John’s and back, courtesy of Provincial
Airlines. Jonathan, who was about five months old at the
time, sat smiling on his mother’s lap both ways.
“The people at the airline were very helpful,”
said Mrs. Buckle. “They made things a lot easier on
us. Their generosity helped ease our financial burden during
a very difficult time.”
Provincial Airlines, with its head office in St. John’s,
is one of Hope Air’s biggest supporters. In fact,
the company has donated tremendously to Newfoundland and
Labrador residents this year alone. Provincial Airlines
is a very compassionate airline, great to work with and
they make the ‘travel experience’ as hassle-free
as possible.
“We’re proud to be partners with Hope Air,”
said Joan Brett, Provincial Airlines’ Corporate Sales
Manager. “Together we’re able to assist those
in Newfoundland and Labrador who need our support the most.”
Provincial Airlines’ assistance has paid off! Jonathan
is 11 months old now and gaining weight consistently; though,
he’s still only 17 pounds. Nonetheless, he’s
a bright and playful young boy.
“The only issue now is his hearing,”
said Mrs. Buckle, “He has auditory neuropathy, but
he’s now hearing at 60 decibels.”
Specialists at the Janeway will be seeing Jonathan again
in October.
“He’s doing really well,” said Mrs. Buckle.
“I’m so glad.”
- 30 -
For more information:
Ryan Cureatz
Coordinator, Public Relations & Development
Hope Air
4711 Yonge Street, Suite 703
Toronto, ON M2N 6K8
Toll free: 1-877-346-HOPE ex. 222
rcureatz@hopeair.org
Joan Brett
Corporate Sales Manager
Provincial Airlines
PO Box 29030
St. John’s, NL A1A 5B5
(709) 576-1710
jbrett@provair.com
Hope Air
Hope Air is a registered Canadian Charity,
founded in 1986, whose vision is to ensure that no Canadian
is denied needed medical care for lack of access to air
transportation. The organization arranges free flights to
recognized health facilities for medical care not available
in the patient’s home community. Since its inception,
Hope Air has provided more than 45,000 flights to Canadians
in need.
Provincial Airlines
Provincial Airlines’ head office is located at St.
John’s International Airport, Hangar #4, St. John’s,
Newfoundland. The organization has stations in Deer Lake,
Stephenville, Goose Bay, Wabush, Churchill Falls, St. Anthony,
Blanc Sablon, Halifax and Sept-Îles. Innu Mikun, Provincial
Airlines’ Partner, services all points on the North
Coast of Labrador. Customers can book flights online at
www.provincialairlines.com
or by calling 1-800-563-2800.
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