one by one® story: PALS (Patient Airlift Services)
Imagine fighting a rare illness but living hours away from the best treatment facility. Imagine being a veteran who can’t make regular trips to their out-of-state rehab center without breaking the bank. That’s the reality many people face. PALS (Patient Airlift Services) provides free private flights so people can afford to get to the treatment they need most, even on a regular basis. Private pilots volunteer their time and aircraft, while generous donors help fund PALS’ operations. To give back to the people who make PALS’ work possible, the nonprofit organization provides a useful donor appreciation gift each year.
Eliminating transportation as a barrier to healing and hope
For someone whose immune system is compromised, traveling through a commercial airport is exhausting and can be life-threatening. In addition, many people simply cannot afford the expenses required for regular treatments in an out-of-state facility—even if those treatments can save their life.
PALS’ mission is to eliminate transportation as a barrier to medical treatment. With a roster of volunteer pilots, PALS helps patients with rare diseases afford regular visits to the best providers. PALS also helps veterans attend morale-boosting events and retreats that provide physical rehab or help managing PTSD.
From Florida to New York and back again—47 times
Many people who use PALS say they could never have accessed their treatment without PALS’ help. One such person is Sharon.
After being diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer, Sharon was referred to a specialized treatment center in New York for twice-weekly treatment. However, Sharon lives in Florida. To get her first treatment, Sharon drove 13.5 hours and stayed the night in a hotel. After incurring the transportation and lodging expenses from just one visit, she knew she wouldn’t be able to do it again.
That’s when PALS stepped in. Over the past three years, Sharon has used PALS to fly to New York 47 times. Now, Sharon travels from Florida to New York in 3.5 hours, gets back home the same day and doesn’t have to pay for transportation or lodging. PALS is Sharon’s lifesaver.
“Sharon is of retired age and spends an enormous amount of her time volunteering for her community and working with at-risk youth. It’s an honor for us to give back to someone who’s really given their life for others by helping Sharon get the best treatment available,” said Brook Leighton, Director of Development and Marketing at PALS.
Thanking donors with donor appreciation gifts
PALS is funded through generous donors who believe in the life-saving work PALS does. Every year, PALS hosts a big gala to raise money for people like Sharon. And every year, PALS likes to give a little thank-you to each donor.
Thanks to the 4imprint one by one® grant, PALS was able to order small, branded notebooks as thank-you gifts. “Giving donor appreciation gifts is one way we can show our donors how much their generosity means to us and the people we serve. We’re so grateful to 4imprint for the grant that we’re able to use,” Leighton said.
A note from Cheryl
PALS improves so many people’s quality of life while helping them get the life-saving treatment they need. We’re honored to provide donor appreciation gifts used to thank people who make PALS’ work possible. To learn more about 4imprint’s one by one® grant program, visit onebyone.4imprint.com.