Angel Flight East Kootenay has recorded another first, in its mission to help East Kootenay patients get help. The charitable organization that that flies East Kootenay residents to medical treatment centres in Kelowna for free, flew, for the first time, a newborn baby.

Silas Robert Wright, of Fernie, was only 12 hours old when respiratory complications at his birth required his immediate transport to Kelowna.

After Silas was born in May at the East Kootenay Regional Hospital in Cranbrook, he wasnsa国际传媒檛 maintaining his oxygen levels, according to his mother, Sarah Wright.

Silas was diagnosed with transient tachypnea of the new born, and pneumothorax, and ventricular septal defects ( a hole in the wall of the heart (septum) that separates the two lower chambers (ventricles) of the heart.

Transient tachypnea of the newborn can present in infants shortly after birth. It is a breathing problem caused by a delay in the clearance of fetal lung fluid after birth, which leads to respiratory distress, and tachypnea.

Babies need extra oxygen for a few days, but most make a full recovery.

Pneumothorax is a collection of air outside the lung but within the pleural cavity. It can apply pressure on the lung and make it collapse.

Silas required immediate transport to Kelowna General Hospitalsa国际传媒檚 neonatal intensive care unit. He and Sarah were taken to Cranbrook airport, and flew with medics to Vancouver, and thence to Kelowna. Angel Flight took mother and son back to Cranbrook from Kelowna.

Brent Bidston, who founded Angel Flight in 2019, said that the air charity had hitherto not carried infants and newborns, sa国际传媒渂ecause we use unpressurized aircraft sa国际传媒� itsa国际传媒檚 not a good idea for them.

sa国际传媒淏ut now, if an attending doctor says theysa国际传媒檙e okay to fly, as in a scheduled airline, then theysa国际传媒檙e okay to fly with us, because wesa国际传媒檙e pressurized now.sa国际传媒� (Angel Flight recently acquired a new aircraft, with pressurized capabilities.)

sa国际传媒淎nd we donsa国际传媒檛 get very high, either.sa国际传媒� Bidston said. sa国际传媒淪o we accepted [Silas] as our first ever.sa国际传媒�

Certainly the flight itself was a success sa国际传媒� Silas slept the whole way. He is now back home in Fernie, and doing well.

Angel Flight East Kootenay is an entirely volunteer-led charitable organization with no paid employees. Itsa国际传媒檚 mission is to fly residents of the East Kootenays to treatment centres in Kelowna, for free!

As a registered charity it is currently accepting donations to be able to continue offering free flights. See more at https://angelflightek.ca/.