Air Methods | Why We Fly - “Travis”

As Travis sat trapped in his father’s 1970s-style corn picker, he knew he needed help, fast. Thanks to a 911 call, Travis was airlifted to a near-by hospital where, even though they couldn’t save his legs, they were able to save his life. An instrumental component of his story was the blood transfusion he received in the field from the flight nurse & medic thanks to the blood supply on-board the helicopter. His story could’ve gone very differently. The original helicopter that was suppose to respond was down for maintenance; based in New York, the only state that does not allow helicopters to carry blood. Instead Guthrie, PA responded. Had this base not been the one to respond to Travis’ accident, he may not be here today. He used his story to enact change and just nine months after his accident, the state of New York changed their policy to allow all helicopters to carry blood and administer transfusions.

We had the absolute pleasure of meeting Travis and his family and capturing his story as part of Air Methods’ patient story series “Why We Fly”. It’s stories like Travis’ which reinforce the importance of having access to life-saving medical care.

Role: Producer | Director | Post-Producer

DP: Social Goat

Production Company: One Floor Up

Editor: Matty Schmalz