For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be got through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life. -- Father Alfred D'Souza

Meetings in 2002 - Cleveland, Padua
Travel Assistance from Mercy Airlift
Defeating Depression, adapted from Milestones
Audio and Computer text
VHL in Germany, by Gerhard Alsmeier, Germany
Sigma Phi Gamma Supports VHLFA
New Alabama Chapter, by Linda D.
Triathlon -- Alice completes the Danskin Triathlon

by Ed Boyer, President, Mercy Airlift

Mercy Airlift organizes free travel to medical treatment for patients. People often ask if this free air travel can also be used to attend medical conferences about their condition. None of the several fully free airline programs for patients allow for the tickets to be used for conferences. These are rules from the airlines.

If the travel to the conference is less than 1,000 miles, the travel may be for free through the Air Charity Network -- service provided by private aircraft.

For free patient travel to distant specialized evaluation, diagnosis, treatment or clinical trial participation call Mercy Medical Airlift on 1-888-675-1405. Be sure you tell the folks your disease situation is a rare cancer. They have special resources for cancer patients

As printed in the VHL Family Forum 9:3, September 2001. For permission to reprint, please contact VHL Family Alliance, editor@vhl.org. Further information is available from the VHL Family Alliance, info@vhl.org.