The Pyke family’s story is compelling. In 2012 father Phillip came to Alberta for a great job to support the family of six, including a daughter with a health-related disability.
Wife Kelly and the 4 kids planned to sell the house in Ontario and come at the end of the school year. The house didn’t sell and for 2 more years, Philip traveled back to see them 2 or 3 times a year. In 2014 he was diagnosed with leukemia and Kelly got a call saying that he’d been given just 5 days to live. So she and the kids immediately flew to Edmonton to be with him.
The family remained in AB because Philip’s cancer drug treatment is covered by healthcare there, and would not be elsewhere. During that time their daughter’s condition worsened and at one time she was in Calgary and Philip in Edmonton – both in critical condition. Yet Kelly persevered, working three jobs as a health aid. And their oldest son also took work instead of continuing on to higher education. But they stayed together as a family.
Recently Philip’s father was diagnosed with terminal cancer in Nova Scotia and Kelly learned about Give A Mile. She made a request to grant the entire family flights from AB to NS for one last visit with “Poppyâ€. http://giveamile.org/flights/family-to-be-together-with-father-battling-cancer/
A corporate partnership between Give A Mile and Flight Centre Canada allowed the entire family to take a trip they would never have been able to afford, and create lasting memories for all involved. Following are Kelly’s own words of gratitude:
Our family is very grateful for Flight Centre’s contribution in making a very important memory for us. We had all been through so much with my husband’s leukemia and moving across Canada to support him in his recovery as well as the challenges with our daughters health, that to lose my husband’s father to cancer without being able to say goodbye would have just sent us over the edge. But instead, we were able to use our time together in Nova Scotia to regain strength and regroup with the love and compassion and encouragement we all needed from each other.
Thank you for making it possible for our family to travel to be with my husband’s parents during this difficult time. Although it is extremely hard to say a final goodbye it is far better than not being able to do that. You provided us with a means to do this and we are very grateful. We were able to also see all the extended family. As well on our stop-over in Toronto my family came and met us for sandwiches and a quick hug during our wait between flights.    This too meant so much. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. – The Pykes |
These flights may not have happened without the wonderful Corporate Partner relationship between Give A Mile and Flight Centre Canada, and donations by readers like you. Help us continue to provide those flights by donating unused travel and other loyalty points, cash, bitcoins; by volunteering with Give A Mile; or by attending Give A Mile events.