Volunteer Pilots Bring Doctors to Remote Parts of Australia to Help Children in Need

Children who may never have otherwise had access to specialty healthcare are now receiving treatment thanks to a group of volunteer pilots and doctors who have dedicated their time to helping those in need. 

Volunteer pilots with Little Wings, each with a minimum of 1,000 hours total flying time, bring big city doctors into the Australian outback.

"What we're doing is taking any doctor from any hospital out to deliver services,” said Clare Pearson, CEO of Little Wings. "What that really means is that 8,000 nights were spent at home for little people."

Little Wings is a non-profit organization that brings doctors to young patients who may otherwise spend days traveling for care.

Emma Young, the mother of one patient, told reporters, "It means a week not away from home, it means just a day."

The program was created during the COVID-19 pandemic when many people, especially children, had no access to medical care.

"Being a low socio-economic population, they don't have access, they don't have cars, they don't have the money so being able to bring the service here has been incredible,” said Rosemary Rose of Pius X Aboriginal Medical Centre.

“For parents, it's always daunting or stressful that your child might have a heart problem, so to be able to provide the assurances or at least appropriate care or counselling is important," said Dr. Jascha Kehr, a pediatric cardiologist makes trips to the Outback.

Little Wings says it's now flying out doctors to set up clinics six days per week.

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