Hope Air

Claire was diagnosed with a cleft lip, palate, and a rare genetic condition before she was born, requiring frequent care 700 km from home. Her mom managed the trips alone for years, but the financial and emotional strain grew. Hope Air stepped in, easing travel challenges and helping Claire access vital treatment. Now, after five years, Claire’s family feels relief and gratitude for the support that has made such a profound difference in their lives. For 13 years, YVR for Kids has been supporting Hope Air youth in BC, like Claire, who must travel to access medical care far from home. In 2024, they raised $15,000 through their golf tournament and annual gala, helping families focus on care without the burden of travel costs. Together, we are helping patients focus on what matters most, their health. Learn how at hopeair.ca

We’re proud to share that Stephanie Aldridge has been appointed as our new Vice-President, Patient Experience. In this role, Stephanie will focus on the enhancement of our patient care processes, technology and people to continue to deliver excellent patient centric programs for our clients. Stephanie presently serves as Executive Director, B.C. operations for Hope Air and will continue to maintain these responsibilities in addition to her new role. Read the full release: https://lnkd.in/gaMkncmr

Amir, a resilient young boy from St. John's, NL, faced an overwhelming journey when diagnosed with retinoblastoma, an aggressive form of eye cancer. There is no Retinoblastoma team in Newfoundland and Labrador and Amir would need to travel to SickKids Hospital in Toronto for an MRI to determine if the cancer was in one eye or two. For Amir's mother, Chantal, a single mother of two, the news was both frightening and daunting. Chantal reached out to Hope Air after hearing about the organization from friends and family, which has allowed Chantal and Amir to fly to Toronto for care 8 times since 2023. This helped her focus on her sons care instead of the financial and physical stress of managing travel to his care. Learn more about Hope Air: https://hopeair.ca/

In 2024, Hope Air answered the call to help thousands of patients travel long distances to access critical healthcare. Hope Air experienced significant demand for our programs and with your support, we provided over 45,000 medical travel arrangements, assisting individuals from more than 550 small communities across Canada. Please take a moment to hear from Chief Hope Officer Mark Rubinstein, as he reflects on the past year and Hope Air's gratitude for the help you provided: https://lnkd.in/dTxF8Jva

"My husband is sole provider for our family and going down monthly with Atticus for his care, if we had to do that financially every single month it would put a huge strain on our entire life." In 2020, three-year-old Atticus faced an unresponsive episode, followed by difficulties speaking, eating, and drinking. After numerous tests, doctors at BC Children’s Hospital diagnosed him with myasthenia gravis, a neuromuscular disease causing muscle weakness and fatigue. This diagnosis required frequent travel from Kelowna to Vancouver for treatment. Hope Air eased the family’s burden by providing flights, accommodations, meals, and transportation, helping Atticus access the care he needed. Learn more about Hope Air is helping patients like Atticus at hopeair.ca

This brave young girl, Zoe, travels with Hope Air every 10 days for life-saving blood transfusions from Windsor to Toronto to treat a rare blood disorder. Her journey could be filled with stress and long, exhausting car rides - but thanks to our incredible partners, Zoe’s story is one of hope and support. On Zoe's journey, those partners are Porter Airlines Inc. and Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport who ensure that Zoe and her mom, Heidi, can fly directly into downtown Toronto, making the trip quicker to get to Sick Kids Hospital. When they arrive, our official ride share partner Uber steps in to help them navigate the city, safely reaching the hospital and their accommodations without the worry of unfamiliar streets. Together, we’re bridging the distance between home and hospital for families like Zoe’s, giving them access to the critical care they need, when they need it most thanks to our network of partners across the country.

Hope Air was founded in 1986 by Jinnie Bradshaw and Joan Rogers, who envisioned supporting patients across Canada by providing access to life-saving medical appointments far from home. In their first year, they supported 12 patients. Now, 38 years later, we have reached an incredible milestone, having arranged travel for 25,135 individual patients to date. The demand for Hope Air's services continues to soar, and we have become an essential part of Canada's healthcare system and thanks to our community of supporters, we are now assisting more patients than ever before. By providing free travel support to patients living in rural, remote, and underserved communities, we remain committed to ensuring no patient is left behind when accessing medical care, regardless of cost or distance. Learn more about the patients Hope Air supports at: https://lnkd.in/gU3pUbU4

In 2024, demand for our services soared to unprecedented levels, but thanks to the unwavering generosity of our community, we rose to meet the challenge. Together, we provided life-saving assistance to more patients than ever before, ensuring they could access vital medical care, no matter the distance. As we head into 2025, the need remains great, but so does our determination to help even more patients. With you by our side, we’re ready to rise to the challenge again. Thank you for everything you made possible in 2024 - and for the hope we’ll continue to bring to patients together. Here’s to making an even greater impact in 2025! Learn more about how Hope Air is bridging the distance between home and hospital at hopeair.ca

“Without Hope Air, me and my family might have had to consider relocating to Ontario because we could not afford all the flights and accommodations. They have lifted a worry and burden from us so I can focus on getting my son the care he needs.” Amir, a young boy from St. John’s, NL, faced a tough journey after being diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a rare eye cancer. With no specialists in the province, his mom, Chantal, had to travel to Toronto’s SickKids for his treatment. As a single mom, the financial strain was overwhelming, but Hope Air stepped in to cover flights and accommodations their trips. The support allowed Amir to access life-saving care and gave Chantal peace of mind so she could focus on Amir’s health instead of the cost of getting there. Learn more about how Hope Air bridges the distance between home and hospital at hopeair.ca

When Gail from Kelowna faced a cancer diagnosis, her treatment journey required traveling to Vancouver for specialized care. Financially stretched, she relied on her sister’s air miles for her initial trip. During her hospital stay, a social worker introduced her to Hope Air, an organization that provided flights, accommodations, and meal support. Their assistance eased the stress of travel, allowing Gail to focus on her recovery. Back home now, she’s undergoing chemotherapy locally, grateful for the support that made her treatment possible. "Hope Air truly made a difference in my recovery process. Hope Air’s assistance ensured that I could access the specialized care I needed without worrying about financial barriers." Learn more about how Hope Air is bridging the distance between home and hospital at hopeair.ca