Every flight is important for the Flight for Life–Northern Illinois program, and many can make the difference between life or death.
But one flight last weekend marked not only a fast trip to the hospital for a 9-year-old accident victim, but also the passing of a milestone for the FFL program at Northern Illinois Medical Center.
The flight to save young Darren Leonardi was the 3,000th by FFL crews since the program’s inception more than 10 years ago.
Leonardi was flown by FFL to Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin after a car he was in collided head-on with a van in Johnsburg.
McHenry Township Fire Protection District’s Company II was the first to respond. After assessing all of the victims, Pat Arnold, the district’s assistant chief, called for the helicopter.
The FFL team–nurse Lynn Scarbrough, medic Kevin Christianson and pilot John Brodnicki–arrived and transported Leonardi to the hospital within 20 minutes. The boy was later reported to be and recovering.
“This was our 3,000th flight with a safe transport,” said Rich Tobiasz, chief flight nurse. “There are many patients who have benefited and (who) wouldn’t be alive today if it weren’t for our service.”
