Captain Chemo
Angel Flight pilot Shaun Aisen may not be alive if it was not for suffering food poisoning.
“I had taken medication to treat a bout of food poisoning when stomach cancer was first detected,” explains Shaun, who pilots about 80 flights a year for Angel Flight – a charity to help people travel to medical facilities anywhere in Australia. “At the time of diagnosis on Valentines Day 2006 the cancer was at stage 3b, which is quite serious so I began the first of 38 cycles of chemotherapy. I was diagnosed again in 2007, this time with liver cancer.”
Fast forward the clock three years and the prognosis is more positive for Shaun, known as “Captain Chemo” by some of his young patients.
“I am now having six monthly checks instead of three,” says Shaun. “It gives me some breathing space and allows me to focus more on spending time with family and friends and continuing my work for Angel Flight, which I find very rewarding.”
Angel Flight began in 2003 as an initiative of businessman Bill Bristow and has provided around 9,000 free flights across Australia to patients in need of medical treatment at distant hospitals.
Shaun Aisen, Angelflight Pilot
Shaun Aisen, Angelflight Pilot
“The patients I have piloted have been newborns to 90 year olds,” explains Shaun who is a partner of Strategic Airlines, a passenger and charter airline based in Australia and France. “A large number of these people do not have easy access to major hospitals and treatment centres so there is certainly a real need for the service to help improve their health.”
Shaun was one of the first Angel Flight pilots and flies about 80 times a year for the Charity.
“I have piloted close to 300 flights,” says Shaun, who lives in Melbourne with his wife and two children aged 9 and 12. “This has allowed me to see parts of Australia I would never have experienced and also meet some wonderful people who have become friends. It is satisfying to see their health improve but it can also be very difficult if you lose them. I recently lost a long-time patient after a 12 year battle with bone cancer.”
Shaun says his experience with cancer has definitely strengthened his commitment to the Charity.
“I think my battle with cancer has helped me understand what some of the patients are going through,” says Shaun. “It has also put things in perspective of how quickly your life can change.”
Shaun says it is satisfying to share his passion for flying whilst performing a community service.
“Only about 4% of Angel flights operating costs are spent on administration which is very low compared to other charities,” says Shaun who began his career in air traffic services after completing high school. “Angel Flight is very committed to ensuring the money is being directed where it is needed most. The generous support from individuals and organisations also help make this possible. I donate my time and ensure the aircraft complies with Australian aviation standards, but everything else from the fuel, landing fees and ground operations is all donated.”
The day we joined ‘Captain Chemo’ on one of his flights he was taking a 3-year-old girl home from Melbourne to Orbost, in north eastern Victoria. Earlier that day she had been with her mother to see a specialist at the Royal Children’s Hospital about a condition in her foot. If it had not been for the 45 minute Angel flight, the journey to Melbourne and back would have involved over ten hours of travel by car.
- Sharlene and her daughter flying home to Orbost from their Hospital appointment
“The appreciation I receive from the families who often have enough to worry about without having to undertake long trips by car to medical facilities makes my work all the more worthwhile,” says Shaun. “It does help take some of the pressure off them and ensures their loved ones get access to the best treatment facilities they need.”
As part of his role with Strategic Airlines Shaun coordinates aviation for the Australian Army which has involved travelling to Afghanistan.
“Going to Afghanistan, where there is so much hardship and my experience with cancer really makes me think how lucky I am to be able to give something back. I am often thankful for having that bout of food poisoning so I am able to continue to make a difference.”
To find out more about Angel Flight visit www.angelflight.org.au
