By Corbett Stevenson
Itzy’s mother, Mirna, remembers Itzy having a persistent fever, and Mirna had a nagging feeling that something was wrong. After a multitude of tests at their small local hospital in Kansas, the doctor said Itzy needed to be seen in the emergency room immediately. Mirna recalled, “That’s when he said they thought she had leukemia, and my world turned upside down.”
The family lives about four hours outside of Denver, and with Itzy’s appointments at Children’s Hospital Colorado so close together, driving back and forth quickly became another burden on top of the family’s situation. “Angel Flight West was just perfect. I call the pilots ‘angel pilots’ because that’s what they are — they were there for us when we were at our lowest,” Mirna said.
Since her diagnosis, Itzy has flown with Angel Flight 57 times. Of those, 40 flights were with Kosta Constantine, who, Mirna said, has become part of their family. “He’s been with us through the whole thing, through the whole journey,” Mirna said. “He got to come to the bell ringing in February this year, and he comes to all her birthday parties.”
The bell ringing, which Itzy completed last year at 6 years old, signified the end of her cancer treatment and a celebration of being cancer-free. “It was tremendous. It was a relief knowing she was at the end of her treatment,” Kosta said. Itzy still has check-ups to monitor her condition, and Kosta and his wife and mission assistant, Nancy, are there for every one of them.
Angel Flight West’s volunteer pilots demonstrate acts of generosity every day by donating their time, talent, and resources to help others. “It’s a wonderful experience for us,” Kosta said. “There’s a big need, and Itzy and her family are just one family with this need. We’ve flown so many others.”
Each mission flown connects a patient with vital health-care resources — and it delivers a sense of hope along the way. Learn more about becoming a volunteer pilot at AngelFlightWest.org.
Listen to Kosta and Nicole’s story here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MddXqDY0LK0