Free life-saving trip provided to sick child in need of major heart surgery; family paying it forward
BIRDSBORO Pa - Three-and-a-half-year-old Islia is an all-around performer. Singing improv to opera. She is a happy little beauty full of life, but hidden behind her high energy is a serious health condition.
"Right now you would look at her and probably not know," said her parents, Ashton and Victoria Stewart.
Their baby girl was born with a congenital heart defect.
"She has multiple holes in both chambers. Upper and lower chambers of her heart as well as a narrowing in her right lung," said Victoria.
Islia is now in need of a major surgery.
"Nervous and anxious," they said.
FOX 29's Shawnette Wilson talked to the Birdsboro family, including Islia's brothers Silous and Emyth, via a FaceTime their grandparents setup.
Islia is in quarantine to avoid getting sick before flying out to California for the surgery.
"If we put this off any longer, you will start seeing degradation like blue in the lips from just running around the house or something," said Ashton.
Mark Pestal is the executive director and founder of a national non-profit called AeroAngel.
"That provides free flights, private jet flights for seriously ill children going to and from distant lifesaving medical care. So all on private jets for when a child cannot fly safely on a commercial airline flight," said Pestal.
They are covering the flight for Islia and her parents to fly to California for heart surgery Thursday.
In return, families like the Stewarts have the option of fundraising to help provide the next flight for another family.
Pestal says the last one was $30,000.
"We essentially drain our fuel fund fairly quickly and so need to refill that for the next flight," he said. They also seek donors in the form of people with businesses jets to donate hours.
Islia's grandparents are praying for the best.
"That she can continue to grow and continue to be this energized little girl that she is and continue to be the love that she is to everybody," said her grandfather Danile Cirotti.
"She’s such a joy," added her grandmother Patricia Cirotti.