ANN ARBOR, MI - In 1981, an accident left Jack Lewis paralyzed. While others in a similar situation may have given up, Lewis decided not to let his limitations stand in the way of his dreams. Lewis refocused his energy and learned how to do something he had always wanted to do, even without the use of his legs — he learned how to fly a plane.

Now, Lewis, along with other disabled pilots, is helping children with similar conditions realize their dreams through Challenge Air, a non-profit program that gives disabled or seriously ill children a chance to ride in an airplane.

On Saturday, Aug. 9, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Lewis and several young co-pilots from the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital will take flight from the Ann Arbor airport.

“It’s such an honor to share this moment with the children — to be up in the air with them,” says Lewis. “The experience may not physically heal the children, but it does give them a chance to look back and say, ‘I did that’.”

For the fourth year, Challenge Air will bring Mott patients and their families together for a day of fun, including games, arts and crafts, and visits from U-M Survival Flight and the Pittsfield Fire Department.

Children like Morgan and Madison, daughters of Tracy and Scott McCullough of Jackson, will be flying with Challenge Air. For the past two years, disabled pilots like Lewis have taken the girls up in an airplane and given them a chance to take the controls.

For the McCullough family, it’s also a day to see other families they have bonded with since their daughter Morgan became a patient at Mott in 1996, shortly after her birth.

“The biggest draw for our family is being able to see other families and patients outside of the hospital. It’s so nice for Morgan to see the friends she has made in Mott’s play room and for the families to come together and see each other in a positive uplifting environment,” says McCullough.

Challenge Air was created in 1995 by Rick Amber, a pilot who lost his legs at the age of 26. Amber once said that, “the human spirit prevails over any physical or mental obstacle. After a day with Challenge Air, no height seems unreachable — all it takes is desire and truly, the sky is the limit." Since Amber’s death in 1997, Lewis and many other pilots have carried on his belief by providing more than 10,000 children a view from above.

“This program touches not only the patients and the pilots, but everyone, right down to the people volunteering, passing out refreshments and organizing the games,” says Lewis.

The experience is one a family shares together.

“The Child and Family Life program is a great advocate for the siblings of the patients at Mott. The Challenge Air day is so special because Madison gets to ride right along with her sister and the girls are able to share their memories from the day because they did it together,” says McCullough.

The hospital's Child and Family Life Department, which provides programs to reduce the stress of hospitalization for patients and families, is once again organizing the event. Although most of the department's programs are based in the hospital (activity therapy, art therapy, medical play, school), the department organizes some events outside the hospital in cooperation with donors.

The event is sponsored by the U-M student organization Dance Marathon, which has supported the Challenge Air event through funding and volunteer support since it started. Last year's 30 hour Dance Marathon raised almost $200,000 for a variety of programs to benefit patients at Mott.

“The best thing in the world is to see kids get off that plane. Their initial joy, amazement and a touch of fear eventually turns into a huge smile,” says Donna Murphy, Child and Family Life Director and Challenge Air coordinator. “It’s a privilege to see that smile.”

If you are interested in covering this event, please call UMHS Public Relations at the above number. Media are invited to attend the event, which will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 9 at Ann Arbor Airport. Interviews will be available with children participating in the event, as well as with Captain Jack Lewis and other disabled pilots with the Challenge Air organization.

Written by: Erin Block

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