Hope Air

Medical Travel Assistance

Former patient joins the
Hope Air Advisory Council

Tiana Jackson knows first-hand how important access to medical care is to Canadians. Tiana flew with Hope Air six times from 2002-2013 for a musculoskeletal disorder. She recently joined the Hope Air National Advisory Council and we wanted to learn more about when she first heard about Hope Air and how she became involved.
What was your experience like flying with Hope Air?
Flying with Hope Air was honestly a blessing to my family and me. When  we got in touch with Hope Air, we couldn’t believe an organization like this existed. Hope Air allowed us to stay in our hometown, and still have the means to fly to Toronto so that I was able to receive the medical attention and treatment that I needed. Without Hope Air, I truly do not know how we would have afforded so many flights, as we travelled back and forth from St. John’s to Toronto quite frequently for many, many years.
How did you connect again with Hope Air in the last couple years?
I am so thankful to have reconnected with Hope Air in the last couple of years. Two years ago, I received a call from Hope Air to ask me to be a guest speaker at the Ham, Eggs, and Hope breakfast in St. John’s. Without hesitation, I agreed to attend. While at this meeting, I came into contact with Jim Burton, who organized the breakfast event. I now work for him at RE/MAX Infinity, and I got to attend the Ham, Eggs, and Hope breakfast again as a guest. It was not long after that when Jim asked how I would feel about joining the Hope Air Advisory Council, of course, this was not an opportunity I could not pass up.
What appealed to you about joining the Hope Air advisory council?
Joining the Hope Air advisory council has been such a big accomplishment in my eyes, to be able to give back to this organization for everything it did for me. It was something I never thought I would be able to do. Now, I sit on the council along with so many other amazing and inspiring people, in a position to raise awareness and help others.
What do you hope to accomplish as a member of the Hope Air advisory council?
During my time on the advisory council, there is one thing I truly hope to accomplish and that is to help others who are in the position I once was. I hope to display the gratitude I feel towards Hope Air by bringing as much light to the amazing things Hope Air offers as is possible. I strive to tell people what Hope Air does and how they can help. If I can use my knowledge and personal experience in any way to help someone else, that is exactly what I am going to do

We acknowledge that we live and work on the unceded, traditional territories of many Indigenous peoples. We are grateful for the privilege of being on lands that these peoples have nurtured since time immemorial.