Thirteen-year-old Alec has weathered more than his share of medical challenges. He was born 14 weeks early and has received numerous difficult diagnoses since. But Alec continues to soldier on with remarkable tenacity and recently earned his Courageous Flier wings on a beautiful day for flying.
“I learned of Flight1 through About Special Kids’ Facebook page,” explains Alec’s mom, Alicia. “I wasn’t sure Alec would be interested in flying but I was so wrong. He was fully engaged the entire time, which is often a struggle given his autism diagnosis.”
On the flight line, Alec and his nine-year-old brother Aidan joined Certified Flight Instructor Dave Remondini for the pre-flight inspection. They learned why it’s important to test the fuel – to be sure it’s the proper type and not contaminated with water or dirt – and how to be sure the airplane is ready for flight.
Once everything had been checked, Alec climbed in next to Dave and looked right at home. Alicia and Aidan settled into the rear seats and the Skyhawk was airborne a few minutes later.
After the flight, Alicia said, “Both the boys loved every minute of it and took pictures to school the following day. It allowed them to have a fun experience to take part in together with still getting individual positive attention to boost their self-esteem. It also allowed me to see the kind of smile on Alec’s face I haven’t seen in a long time and that, to me, is priceless!”
Would you like to help Flight1 build children’s confidence and create lifelong memories? We would love to have you. Learn more about contributing or volunteering today.
– Russell Goutierez
Photos: Alicia, Marcus Strawhorn
