Scarlett's Angels

Do you remember a post I made last year about Scarlett having angels here on earth? It was about a family that bought Scarlett a special bed for her pressure sores. Well... They have done something AMAZING again for her. They flew us non-stop in their private jet from Phoenix to Cincinnati.

How did this all come about?

Meet Jenny



Meet Steve (The best pilot in the entire world)



Jenny is one of my best-friends and has been so supportive since Scarlett was diagnosed with SMA Type 1. She always checked in on Scarlett and also wanted to know how I was holding up. About two months ago, I had a mini breakdown while on the phone with her. I was feeling overwhelmed and really homesick. Ryan and I have been dealing with Scarlett's diagnosis and medical care all alone in Phoenix without help from family. All of our family lives in Ohio and Michigan. There is only so much that family can do over the phone and through the mail. We've had a lot of help from nurses and physicians but nothing can take the place of family. In the middle of my meltdown, Jenny interrupted me and said "my dad (Steve) has a jet and he's a pilot." I was speechless. She then said, "my dad will fly you guys home so you can be with family and see the physicians at Cincinnati Children's." Cincinnati Children's Medical Center cares for a lot of SMA patients and my family happens to live in Cincinnati. Ryan's family lives only 4 hours away in Detroit.

I had never thought about taking Scarlett on a plane. It wasn't really an option because she couldn't fly commercially. Commercial airlines have strict policies on medical equipment and oxygen. They also require passengers to sit upright which Scarlett cannot do. I had never thought about flying on a private plane because we didn't have access to one until now.

I told Jenny that it would be a dream come true to be with family. I immediately called friends within the SMA community. They all agreed that Scarlett could fly if we did it on a private aircraft. I then called Scarlett's doctors and they thought she could handle it. Our nurse Lindsay offered to fly with us in case of an emergency. Lindsay was Scarlett's first nurse and had been taking care of her since she was 3-months-old.

So the planning began... Team Scarlett was in full effect! We made appointments with physicians at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, established a relationship with Medical Service Company in Cincinnati so that Scarlett would have all of her medical equipment and supplies ready for us when we landed. I contacted the Home Health Department at Cincinnati Children's for nursing and hospice services. I've also been working with awesome social workers at Cincinnati Children's to make sure that Scarlett would get all of her medical needs met.

So the plan was set! I would fly with with Scarlett, Lindsay, Jenny, Steve and a co-pilot. Ryan was in charge of moving our belongings to Cincinnati. His dad and my two brothers flew out to help him move. They made the move in 2 days! Did I mention that Ryan was also responsible for my cat and two dogs? They all arrived safely.

On April 10, 2011, we arrived at the airport. I was so nervous but everyone else seemed very calm. Steve and Jenny had everything perfectly planned out. We set up all of Scarlett's equipment in the jet. We then transported Scarlett to the jet. She knew something was going on because her eyes were big. She does that when she's trying to soak in the environment. Right before the jet took off I gave Steve a big hug and thanked him for helping me. He then looked me in the eyes and said, "this is nothing compared to what you do for your daughter everyday." His comment brought me to tears. He is the kindest man that I've ever met. I felt like he really understood my daily struggles in caring for a special needs child.

The jet was in the air 10 seconds later. It was a smooth takeoff. Scarlett was on her ventilator the entire flight with a little bit of oxygen. The three of us (me, Jenny & Lindsay) worked on distracting her from what was going on. We watched Bugs Life, Madagascar, Handy Mandy and Ice Age. Jenny and Steve also made pretty wing shapes with their hands. Scarlett thought they were funny. I couldn't take my eyes off of Scarlett and her pulse oximiter. I was prepared for anything she would bring my way. Scarlett did so much better than I expected. There were no problems during the flight. She constantly amazes me. She is the strongest little girl that I know.

This is me and Scarlett's nurse Lindsay.



Here are the girls (Scarlett, Jenny, Annie and Lindsay).



Here is Scarlett chilling on her flight.



This is Steve's Cessna Citation CJ3 Jet after it landed. It was a perfect landing.





We needed three people to get Scarlett off of the jet. My parents and sister Wendy helped load the rest of her medical equipment and supplies into their cars.



A goodbye kiss from Scarlett's favorite nurse. They love each other so much.



This is the first thing that Scarlett saw when we brought her into her new home.



Ryan, Scarlett and I are so happy to be with family in Cincinnati. We are not alone anymore and that is extremely comforting. We owe all of this to Steve and Jenny. Without them, we would still be in Phoenix. We love them and will forever be grateful for their ENORMOUS acts of kindness. They are Angels. They are Scarlett's Angels to be exact.

Thank you Steve & Jenny for helping our family. You have changed our lives. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you!