Aid from above
A teenager from Virginia is spending his summer vacation delivering personal protective equipment to rural hospitals around the country, and on Saturday he touched down in Butler County.
Thomas Kim Jr., 16, is a sophomore at Landon School in Bethesda, Md., He said after his school was closed this spring over coronavirus concerns he decided to continue his pursuit of flight training by delivering PPE to hospitals around the country. He and his family live in McLean, Va., and they decided to create Operation SOS — Supplies Over Skies.
His first trip was made on March 27 to Luray, Va., and for his 13th trip, he brought more than 4,000 pieces of medical supplies to the Pittsburgh-Butler Regional Airport for Butler Memorial Hospital's use.
Thomas said the delivery was made upon the invitation of U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-16th, who was at the airportwith Butler Memorial Hospital's Chief Medical Officer Dave Rottinghaus.
“It's very cool being up there. We saw Pittsburgh on our way over here,” Thomas said.
Thomas is an aspiring naval fighter pilot, and he said the delivery trips were a good way for him to continue learning how to fly in preparation for his application to the Navy.
“My dad always wanted to do the same thing but his eyes aren't good enough, so I guess his dream was pushed on me,” Thomas said.He began with local flights to rural hospitals around Virginia, but as his actions gained attention, he began to look past the state line.He noted that his family has been close with Kelly for several years.The payload, which Thomas sourced through his community, contained various gloves, head covers and masks.Rottinghaus noted that the hospital is beginning to return to normal operation after an expected “tsunami of COVID-19 patients” never materialized.Still, he welcomed the extra equipment, noting that every patient the hospital receives is treated as a potential virus patient. And because of that approach, Rottinghaus said, the hospital's staff goes through medical equipment at a much higher rate than during normal times.“(Thomas) is a great example of how we should all be,” Rottinghaus said. “We can't express our gratitude enough — flattered, humbled, grateful; I don't have enough words to convey our gratitude.”Kelly also admired Thomas.“It's absolutely inspirational,” he said. “I've watched him grow up, and he's one tough guy. It's been a tough couple of months in America.”Thomas said the flight was made possible by the Aero Elite Flight School, where he is training to become a pilot.“I love taking to the sky, and this was a good excuse to get out there,” Thomas said.
