Transportation - Air

Patients of all ages and their caregivers

Air Charity Network™ (ACN) provides access for people in the United States who are in need of free air transportation to specialized health care facilities or distant destinations due to family, community or national crisis.

Children with cancer and their families, caregivers, young adults, healthcare professionals and researchers related to childhood cancer

To change the lives of children with cancer through funding impactful research, raising awareness, supporting families, and empowering everyone to help cure childhood cancer.

• Travel For Care Program offers financial assistance to eligible families for travel for childhood cancer treatment at medical institutions in the U.S. and Canada.  Patient must be diagnosed by age 18 and be under 21 and in active oncology treatment following a relapse, or enrolling in or currently participating in a clinical trial for active oncology treatment or a treatment innovation not available at their local institution. Applications must be submitted by a social worker or medical representative. 
• Childhood Cancer Treatment Journal is a free treatment organizer for families of childhood cancer to help parents keep track of important treatment information.
• Ambassadors Program involves family members and friends of a childhood cancer hero who choose to get more involved with ALSF.
• My Childhood Cancer: Survey Series aims to better understand how childhood cancer affects families.
• SuperSibs Programs aim to comfort, encourage and empower siblings during their family’s battle against childhood cancer.
• Offers a free guide for education professionals to help patients, their siblings, and classmates cope with a diagnosis or death in their school community.

Needy children and adults with medical conditions, primarily in the Northeastern United States.

To provide free, non-emergency air transportation to qualified patients and their families by arranging flights to distant medical facilities, delivering supplies to disaster areas, and reuniting families during desperate times.

• Passengers must be ambulatory, medically stable, and meet other criteria; call or check website for details.

Children, adults, family members whose financial resources do not permit them to travel by commercial airlines to get medical diagnosis or treatment

To arrange free air and ground transportation so children and adults may access life-saving medical care

• This non-profit organization provides free flights in private aircraft by volunteer pilots, for persons who need medical care or have other compelling needs
• Serves Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont
• Patients must be medically stable and ambulatory, and able to board aircraft with little or no assistance.  Patients with oxygen and wheelchair requirements should bring someone for support. 

Financially needy children and adults with medical conditions in 13 Western states

To provide free, non-emergency air travel for children and adults with serious medical conditions and other compelling needs.

• Professionals may request assistance on behalf of a patient needing to travel in California, Nevada, Arizona, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, Montana and Wyoming
• Call or check website for specific eligibility criteria.

Adolescent and young adult cancer patients and survivors

To guide young adults with cancer to social support programs and services that can help them manage their mental healing as well as their physical battle.

• Survivorship program in Northern Michigan consists of 6 days of adventure-based learning at no cost
• Travel Assistance for young adults to attend an approved survivorship program in the US
• Annual Base2Summit Scholarship for a Michigan resident who is accepted to an accredited school of higher learning; see website for details
• Lists a variety of survivorship resources related to support, finances, legal, etc.

Children aged 18 and younger in the United States, needing to travel to specialized medical care in the US

Children’s Flight of Hope provides flights to specialized medical care for children in need. 

• Approved families receive commercial airline tickets for the child and one adult companion to travel for treatment. Travel frequency depends on individual patient needs.  
• Families will need to complete CFOH’s New Client Application to be reviewed for approval (see website for specific eligibility criteria). 

Families with children under age 18 in active cancer treatment in the U.S.

To ensure all children can access life-saving cancer treatment by helping them travel from home to the hospital.

• Provides help with travel to the hospital to parents with demonstrated financial need, whose child is under 18 years old and in active cancer treatment

Open to all cancer patients, bone marrow donors, and bone marrow recipients who are ambulatory and not in need of medical support while traveling. Eligibility is not based on financial need, and patients may travel as often as necessary.

To help cancer patients access the best possible treatment for their specific type of cancer by arranging free travel to treatment across the country using empty seats on corporate jets; this not only improves the patients' chances of survival but at the same time, it reduces their emotional stress, physical discomfort and financial burden.

• Must be a cancer patient (or bone marrow donor or recipient):
  • Traveling to treatment, consultation, or a check-up
  • Traveling to recognized treatment center (National Cancer Institute or American College of Surgeons)
  • Able to walk up the steps of a corporate aircraft without assistance
  • Not in need of oxygen, IV, or onboard medical assistance
• Can be accompanied by family member(s) or companion.

Cancer patients and their families within the 50 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and U.S. territories

Dedicated to removing the financial barriers standing between a cancer patient and their treatment.

• Delivers financial education, resource navigation, and emergency relief funds to patients and caregivers facing a cancer diagnosis.
• Varying funds throughout the year, including a clinical trial access fund in partnership with More Moments More Memories.
• Patient must have a cancer diagnosis; be in active treatment or have completed treatment within 1 year; receive treatment within the US, Puerto Rico or US territories; be represented by a healthcare professional from the treatment center who can confirm diagnosis and treatment information.
   

Cancer patients in the US

To improve access to clinical trials for cancer patients

• Helps cancer patients navigate clinical trial options
• Offers financial assistance (such as lodging and transportation costs) for participation in FDA approved clinical trials; call for eligibility details

• Provides community outreach and education.

Serves people from certain Midwest states who are seeking medical treatment far from home or have a compassionate need

To facilitate free air transportation, through volunteer pilots, for financially distressed children and adults with medical and humanitarian needs.

• Primarily serves a 10-state area: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, Missouri, Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin; will partner with other air charities and airlines as needed.  The planes used are 4 to 6 seat aircraft owned and operated by private pilots serving as volunteers.

Patients who need help with air or ground transportation in order to receive medical care in the US

To ensure that no one in need is denied medical care because of a lack of transportation.

• Patients must be ambulatory, medically stable, and meet a financial guideline; see website for details and to apply
• Air transportation may be provided by volunteer pilots or commercial airlines
• The Angel Wheels ground transportation program may provide low-income patients with gas cards, bus or train tickets for medical care more than 50 miles away and generally not exceeding 300 miles.

Residents of the U.S. with financial and medical need for air travel.

To provide free commercial flights to those in need of life-changing medical care, far from home. 

• Provides free, non-emergency air transportation for medical care via commercial airlines. Flights within the Domestic U.S. only.
• Destination must be to a licensed medical doctor or facility with a confirmed appointment.
• Applicants must qualify both financially and medically, and be medically cleared to fly commercially.
• Also assists with travel for service-dog related training/pickup sessions.
   

Needy individuals, primarily in the Northeastern United States

To arrange free air transportation for individuals requiring medical diagnosis, treatment or follow-up, for military personnel and their families, or for other compassionate and humanitarian purposes.

• Passengers must be ambulatory and meet other criteria; call or check website for details.
   

Assists all cancer patients, and their caregiver or companion, in air travel to a treatment center far from home.

To assist those in need of transport services such as patient transport, disaster relief, and educational experiences for youth, environmental support, and other missions of public service.

• Provides a listing of all non-profit volunteer flying groups to patients, communities, and others with needs.

Children with cancer and their families, caregivers, survivors, health professionals

To improve the quality of life for children with cancer and their families worldwide.

• Provides financial and emotional support to families throughout the United States during their child’s cancer treatment. Financial assistance includes transportation fund and emergency assistance fund (See website for specific financial eligibility criteria.)
• The "Beyond the Cure" Survivorship Program (BTC) provides the most up-to-date information on survivorship to help survivors and their families adapt and celebrate life after diagnosis
• Online community provides a private network for parents, caregivers and survivors of childhood cancer to connect, share and offer support to one another
• Beyond the Cure Ambassador Scholarship Program awards college scholarships to childhood cancer survivors who have demonstrated the ability to overcome the difficult challenges of cancer with determination and motivation; call or see website for details
• Provides resources to healthcare professionals involved in the treatment of childhood cancer and the many challenges associated with survivorship
• Global Outreach Program partners with pharmaceutical companies to distribute donated cancer treatment drugs and medical supplies around the world.
   

Individuals who need specialized medical care and air transportation to treatment, primarily within a 600-mile radius of St. Louis, Missouri.

To change and save lives through the power of aviation.

• Provides medical air transport services, free of charge, to individuals who need specialized medical care not available to them locally.  Aircraft are specially outfitted with stretchers to accommodate fragile and non-ambulatory patients.  Individuals are flown to hospitals and treatment centers in 26 states within a 600-mile radius of St. Louis, Missouri
• Has global partnerships in Latin America, Africa and Asia.