Saints Flight

Thank you to the students and staff at Sacred Heart-Griffin High School for inviting Saints Flight to visit your summer health classes on Tuesday!

Our crew enjoyed talking with students about air medical transport, emergency medicine, and the teamwork it takes to care for critically ill and injured patients. We also had the opportunity to show everyone around our office and answer some great questions about life in HEMS. 🚁

Thank you for your curiosity, enthusiasm, and warm welcome. We always appreciate opportunities to connect with students and share our passion for emergency medicine. Who knows? We may have met a few future flight clinicians along the way! 💙

Earlier this week, Saints Flight had the opportunity to partner with Chatham Fire Department to host a hands-on airway skills course for local EMS and fire personnel.

Participants worked through a variety of airway management techniques, beginning with fundamental BLS skills and progressing to advanced ALS procedures, including surgical and needle cricothyrotomy, as well as the SALAD (Suction-Assisted Laryngoscopy and Airway Decontamination) technique.

To make the training as realistic as possible, participants also practiced on pig tracheas and lungs, providing valuable hands-on experience with anatomy and procedures that are rarely encountered but can be lifesaving when every second counts.

Training like this helps build confidence, sharpen critical skills, and strengthen the teamwork that allows us to provide the highest level of care to our communities.

A huge thank you to Chatham Fire Department for hosting this course and to everyone who dedicated their time to learning, teaching, and continually improving their craft. 🚁🚒🚑

Today, Saints Flight had the honor of reuniting with a former patient who is recovering following a life-threatening car accident last fall.

On the morning of September 26, 2025, 3-year-old Elora was involved in a motor vehicle accident with her father and brother that resulted in a skull fracture, brain bleed, and extensive neurological injuries. While at a stop sign, another vehicle rear-ended the family’s car while she was seated in the back seat. The Saints Flight team quickly responded to the scene and transported Elora to HSHS St. John’s Hospital in Springfield, where she was stabilized.

Elora spent the next 11 days hospitalized at HSHS St. John’s before being transferred to Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital near St. Louis, where she spent the following month. Since her accident, Elora has undergone extensive speech, occupational, and physical therapy and has amazed her family with the remarkable progress she has made in her recovery.

During the visit, Elora and her father were able to meet with the Saints Flight crew that responded to her call, explore the helicopter, and snap some silly photos.

While we don't always get the opportunity to learn what happens after we hand our patients off at the hospital, reunions like these remind us why we do what we do. Seeing Elora's smile, hearing about her recovery, and watching her run around the aircraft was a powerful reminder of the impact that teamwork, dedication, and exceptional medical care can have on a patient's outcome.

Thank you, Elora and family, for allowing us to be a small part of your story. We wish you continued healing and many happy adventures ahead. 💙🚁

This Mental Health Awareness Month, we're reminded that the work we do in emergency medical services demands not only physical strength but emotional resilience. The calls we respond to, the lives we touch, the moments we witness — they stay with us. That's why we're committed to supporting our teammates through SIREN, our peer-to-peer mental health network. SIREN connects our crew members with trained peers who truly understand what it means to serve on the front lines. Because sometimes, the most powerful support comes from someone who's been there too. To every EMS professional out there: your mental health matters. You are not alone. We're here for each other, today and always.