AeroAngel, a national aviation charity, is helping a 3-year-old Lansdale girl get lifesaving surgery by flying her privately to California, write Kerri Corrado and Jim McHugh for CBS News Philadelphia.

Islia Stewart has a rare heart and lung congenital defect. She is receiving care at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and now, thanks to AeroAngel, she is already getting ready for her surgery.

The family already tried to get Islia to the California hospital once on a commercial flight, but she got sick, and the doctors were not able to perform the surgery.

Then AeroAngel entered the picture.

“You are saving a little girl’s life because, without the surgery, you just don’t know how long that heart will hold up,” said Islia’s grandfather Daniel Cirotti.

The charity provides a safe traveling option for children to reach their medical care across the country for free.

“A private jet flight like this would have a retail value of $60,000,” said AeroAngel Executive Director Mark Pestal.

“Some of the flights we get are donated by corporate flight departments, chartered companies, or individual owners. Others we have to use our emergency fund to pay for a flight.”

Stewart will fly out to California on Thursday.

Read more about AeroAngel and the surgery that could save Islia Stewart’s life at CBS News Philadelphia.

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