Grace knew flying was in her blood. She had grown up thinking of aviation in relation to her father, a professional pilot. Her mom took photos of her trying to wear her dad’s pilot gear. Of course, she was swimming in the adult size clothes, but she couldn’t have known what significance those trappings of flight would come to have.
When Grace was an infant, her father died. At the age of four she had no memory of her father but she knew she wanted to fly like her dad. Grace’s mother enrolled in Flight1 the first year the program was available. It must have been so bittersweet at first, to do an activity that her dad had loved so much. Grace completed her first year of flight simulator and airplane flight. Never timid, never afraid of the sensations of flight, her courage grew. Besides, it gave her a way to connect to her dad, and she was strengthened by that thought.
Now, she has completed all three years of Flight1 programming, and is eager to return to encourage a new Courageous Flier. She is ready to talk to a kid who may not feel so confident, and reassure them that they have the strength to do what she did.
All three years of Grace’s programming required about $3,000. That’s a lot of money, but with your help, another kid like her can regain his or her emotional footing. Grace and her mom Gayle already understand the meaning and confidence that flight programming can give a family. Tap the “Donate” button now to help more Indiana children get started in the Courageous Flier program.
