When a aviator started working at an airline, he found out that the company ran a solidarity campaign against one life-threatening disease. Committed to the cause, which moved her personal reasonsdecided contribute your grain of sand and achieved its goal.
An Australian airline pilot drove a emotional initiative and helped raise thousands of dollars to finance the breast cancer researchaccording to the local press.
Susan McHaffie is a woman of 55 years who works as flight captain and, at the same time, carry forward an organization committed to a beneficial cause, according to news portal information News.com.au.
How the initiative came about
In an interview with this medium, Susan said that it all started in 2013when he moved from Canadahis native country, to Australia to join QantasLink, a subsidiary airline of Qantas.
One day, during that time, the aviator noticed that the airline had painted one of his airplanes pink to collaborate in the campaign against breast cancer.
The pilot identified with the cause and an idea occurred to her. Photo: Video Capture/Qantas.At that moment, the woman with felt identifiedgiven that her aunt had been diagnosed with that disease. Seeing the pink painted aircraft and thinking of your loved one, an idea occurred to him.
Soon, after receiving approval from the airline, Susan distributed charreteras —rank insignia placed on the shoulders of pilots’ uniforms—of pink colorso that los aviators will use them during October, month dedicated to breast cancer awareness.
The move was so successful that the other employees of the company They also wanted to get involved.
One of the epaulettes provided by Susan’s organization. Photo: Flypink/Instagram @weflypink.In 2015Following this charitable purpose, Susan founded FlyPinkan organization that set out to raise funds through solidarity campaigns for breast cancer research and, simultaneously, raise awareness about the disease.
«I wanted to do something in a more personal way.something that would unite the global aircrew community in a show of global support,» said Susan, according to The Official Plate of Flypink.
A health problem, in the midst of his fight against cancer
In 2016while practicing her profession and running FlyPink, Susan decided to undergo a medical checkup. Soon, following clinical studies, discovered she had breast cancer.
The aviator is a QantasLink flight captain. Photo: Instagram @qantas and @weflypink.«I thought early detection was important. and that it would be stupid to do this whole breast cancer awareness campaign and not get a checkup myself,» she told News.com.au.
Fortunately, the flight captain received treatment and recovered. «I was lucky because was detected very early: I was type 1 stage 1. I underwent surgery and radiotherapy in Sydneywith some phenomenal doctors at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, and now I have been relapse-free for eight years.«, he stated to the same medium.
The pilot’s achievements with her organization
Regarding FlyPink, the organization has been active for more than a decade. «For more than 10 years, we have motivated pilots, cabin crew, ground staff and many others to change your epaulets and pins for pink ones of FlyPink,» indicated the entity, which managed to the use of these objectslike sign of support for the fight against the diseasebecame a usual practice.
A pin from the organization, to raise awareness about breast cancer. Photo: Flypink/Instagram @weflypink.The campaign, originated by the woman, added many followers of the world of aviation. According to News.com.auone of those is the pilot Rory McVeighSusan’s colleague, who strongly supported her in the initiative.
Today, Susan’s organization contributes to National Breast Cancer Foundation (National Breast Cancer Foundation) y supports different charities locals who work against breast cancer globally.
In all this time, according to a statement from Qantas posted on their Instagram page, FlyPink raised more than half a million dollars in Australia thanks to donations and the sale of items such as epaulettes and pink pins for pilots.
They raised more than half a million dollars through donations and the sale of items such as epaulets and pink pins. Photo: Video Capture/Qantas.«It has become a global campaign, with dozens of airlines and corporate aviation companies taking part each year,» announced Qantas, which backed Susan.
For her part, the director of the National Breast Cancer Foundation highlighted the efforts of Susan and other volunteers who support the cause.
«Susan, like many of our incredible followers, drew on her own personal—and family—experience with breast cancer to create something that benefits other people affected by this disease«explained the director of the foundation, Dr. Cleola Anderiesz, in conversation with News.com.au.
