December 16, 2015
Pilots for Kids: Bringing Happiness to Hospitalized Kids
Two dozen pilots from several airlines touched down at Inova Loudoun Hospital, outside Dulles International Airport in Leesburg, Va., on December 15, bringing toys and—more importantly—smiles to hospitalized kids with Pilots for Kids. One little girl looked at the group of pilots and asked in amazement, “All these people are here for me?”
At the hospital, the pilots went room to room in the pediatric area and in the emergency room, stopping to talk with patients and their caregivers while offering a choice of toys to the kids. “It’s a hard time for these kids in the hospital,” said F/O Amy Weaver (JetBlue), so she tries to bring “a little extra joy and happiness” to the patients.
Weaver spoke of one little boy who excitedly accepted a toy helicopter. “He had a little mouthpiece on, helping him breathe, but you could just see the smile,” she said. “He seemed so excited to get this gift from us.”
“It’s priceless,” says Capt. Saman Khosravi (ExpressJet), volunteering with Pilots For Kids for the third straight year. “When you put a smile on their face and you cheer them up even though they’re maybe in pain or they just finished a procedure, or they’re just ill and not feeling good … you kind of make them forget about that pain for that split, few seconds.” He explained that the couple minutes spent in the room is “one of the best ways you can give back.”
Sonya Sterbutzel, the patient care director for pediatrics at the hospital, confirmed the impact of the visit on the patients. “This is just so wonderful for the kids,” she exclaimed. “It puts a smile on their faces, makes them feel better, and just really uplifts them.”
Pilots For Kids, an international nonprofit organization, organizes these events at hospitals around the U.S. during the holidays with help from pilots like F/O Julie Callens (United) and Capt. Barbara Andersen (United). Both helped coordinate events in the Washington, D.C., area, including the collection of money and toys—this year, including some toys donated by ALPA staff in Herndon.
“It’s 100% donation, and everything goes to the children,” said Andersen, who coordinated an event in Winchester, Va. She added that the joy isn’t limited to the patients, either. “It brings warmth to my heart to give back,” concluded Andersen. “When I see that happiness on the parents’ face, it makes me cry.”
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