Quik Flight, Air Ambulance, Provides the Final Leg of a One Month Old Baby's Journey from Kuwait to The Cleveland Clinic

June 17, 2004

On June 8th 2004 a call came into Quik Flight's office, a one month old baby was in route to Kennedy Airport from Kuwait. The baby had severe heart defects and was traveling on a commercial flight with a doctor and a nurse to receive treatment in the US. The baby's final destination was the Cleveland Clinic. Could Quik Flight provide the air ambulance service from Kennedy to the Cleveland Clinic?

Since the baby, the doctor and the nurse were already on a plane crossing the Atlantic, the details on the baby's condition were quickly gathered. The most important detail for Quik Flight was that the isolette that the baby was currently being transported in would not be allowed off of the commercial plane. It would need to return to Kuwait on the next flight back from Kennedy.

"An isolette is a specialized piece of equipment that regulates and stabilizes a baby's temperature. The baby could not make the final leg of the journey without an isolette. We needed to supply this piece of specialized equipment in order to transport the baby." said Sam Rimawi, Quik Flight's Chief Flight Nurse.

Quik Flight successfully located the needed isolette. Pilot Nelson Rodriguez, Respiratory Therapist Michael Schauf and Critical Care Nurse, Amy Glass boarded Quik Flight's Cheyenne I and flew down to JFK to meet the baby. Once they parked in the general aviation area, an ambulance met the crew and transported them to the international terminal where the baby and its doctor and nurse were waiting.

The baby arrived into the US on three intravenous drips, a feeding tube, a ventilator and an isolette. The Quik Flight team took over, giving the exhausted Kuwait doctor and nurse a break. "The ventilator that the baby arrived on was not optimal for the baby's condition but was the best fit for the extended trip. The Quik Flight equipment was more suited for the baby and gave the baby some rest," explained Rimawi. The baby was stabilized in the isolette provided by Quik Flight, and transported by ambulance back to the Quik Flight plane.

The Quik Flight crew, the baby, and the doctor and nurse traveling with the baby boarded the plane and headed to The Cleveland Clinic where the baby was to receive the needed specialized treatment.

"Air Ambulance transport gives people a chance, that under other circumstances, they may not have had," said Rimawi. "Our plane is as fully equipped as the ICU of a Hospital. Our experienced staff of critical care nurses and respiratory therapists, allow the patient to receive the same level of care during transport as they receive in the Hospital."

Air Ambulance is not only used to transport critical care patients but is essential for transport of people who are injured while away from home and need to be kept stable during their journey home. Special need patients that cannot fly on commercial airlines such as nursing home patients or patients who are paralyzed can also benefit from air ambulance travel. And of course, just as the Kuwait baby needed, Air Ambulance can provide transport to specific hospitals for specialized life saving treatments.

To learn more about the value of Air Ambulance service provided by Quik Flight based here in Albany, please visit www.quikflight.com or call 518-869-8000.