Today I had the opportunity to speak with Joe DeMarco, founder of Wings Flights of Hope, a non-profit organization that I’ve heard many wonderful things about. While the organization is well-known in the community, not many know who is behind it. I had the great honor of finding out.
Joe DeMarco and his wife Diane were just a regular married couple who volunteered their time to help others. When Joe decided to use his pilot license to start his own organization to give back to the community, he had no idea what an impact it would have on him. He now has countless memories of people that have changed his life. People he would have never met had it not been for Wings Flights of Hope.
Wings Flights of Hope has several volunteer pilots on staff who donate their time to help those in need of getting to a hospital, free of charge. DeMarco says he wants the community to know that Wings Flights of Hope is not just available to those that cannot afford a plane, it’s a service that is available to to anyone that is in need of transportation for medical assistance. DeMarco added that some doctors will tell a patient that there’s nothing that can be done and Wings Flights of Hope does not believe that. They’ve seen firsthand the power of treatment and they will fly anyone to a destination that will provide them with the care that they need.
DeMarco went on to share with me two stories that really touched my heart. He said a mother once brought her son into the Wings Flights of Hope office. She was paying outrageous amounts to fly her son, Calvin, to hospitals. Calvin had a rare disorder where his intestines were outside of his body and he was on life support at only two years old. Normally Wings Flights of Hope does not fly anyone on life support, but DeMarco and his wife couldn’t say no to this family. With the help of Calvin’s father, DeMarco was able to fly Calvin safely to get treatment. Calvin is now doing much better and DeMarco calls him his co-pilot as he takes trips with him from time to time. Calvin has a little sister now, too.
Another story DeMarco shared with me was about a teenager named Kristina. Kristina was very ill and needed a transplant. DeMarco flew her to the hospital and even took her sister on a trip to visit her. Unfortunately, Kristina went into a coma while in the hospital and things weren’t looking so good. Thankfully, a miracle happened a few days later. Kristina came out of her coma and woke up to her loving family. She is now happily married with children and guess who she asked to walk her down the aisle on her wedding day. No one else but, Joe DeMarco. These are the memories he will never forget.
So, when you’re sitting at home thinking you have no purpose in life – that there’s nothing one person can do to change the world, I want you to think of Joe DeMarco. A man who had one idea to help volunteer his time and turned it into a life of touching hearts.
For more information on Wings Flights of Hope, visit www.wingsflight.org.
