Angel Flight West and With Love, From Strangers fly medical supplies to Navajo and Hopi

NAVAJO NATION — Angel Flight West and With Love, From Strangers are collaborating to provide critical medical supplies — sanitizer, gowns, masks, gloves, face shields, and PAPRs — to hospitals on the Navajo and Hopi reservations.

Dr. Christina Thuet, a pediatrician and Founder/Director of With Love, From Strangers, is spearheading the collection campaign. Her husband, Dr. Wiley Thuet, is an emergency medicine physician working at multiple hospitals across both reservations.

“We are so grateful to everyone who’s participating in these efforts,” Christina said.

AFW’s volunteer pilots are donating their time, talent, airplanes, fuel and all expenses for relief aid flights.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, AFW has pivoted its operations to fly needed supplies to rural areas. The AFW Utah and Arizona Wings have a combined 214 volunteer pilots and have flown over 400 missions in the last year throughout the intermountain west.

“We’re grateful to Angel Flight West, too,” Christina said. “This way we can spend our funds on more medical supplies rather than paying for shipping or trucking, and satisfy urgent requests quickly.”

Josh Olson, AFW’s Executive Director said the organization is happy to help.

“We’re thrilled to be able to help during these unsettling times. The delivery missions will be ongoing, as long as supplies are available and the need is there,” he said.

Hospitals served to date include Navajo Northern Medical Center, Gallup Indian Medical Center, Tsehootsooi Medical Center, Crownpoint Health Care Facility, Tuba City Regional Health Care Corporation, Chinle Comprehensive Health Care Facility and Hopi Health Care Center.

Those who have donated to the project include: The University of Utah Department of Rural Health, University of Utah Center for Medical Innovations, Northern Arizona Volunteer Medical Corp, Southern Utah University Utah Center for Rural Health, d6inc 3d printing lab, RSL Foundation, Salt Lake City area distilleries, and countless individuals and organizations across the country, and the South Valley Airport.

About Angel Flight West

Founded in 1984, Angel Flight West (AFW) is a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization that arranges free, non-emergency air travel for children and adults who need to travel long distances to access medical care and other essential services.

More information about Angel Flight West is available at www.angelflightwest.org or on their Facebook page.

With Love, From Strangers’ mission is to connect strangers and inspire the sharing of resources with underserved communities. Their current project is supporting the Navajo Nation COVID-19 crisis that is happening in the Four Corners region of the Southwest.

More information is available at www.facebook.com/withlovefromstrangers