Volunteer pilots help 4-year-old return home after life-saving surgery in Delaware

WILMINGTON, Del. (WPVI) -- A group of volunteer pilots helped a Minnesota family reunite for the holidays after their 4-year-old daughter underwent life-saving spinal surgery in Delaware.

Madeline Farmer and her mother, Miranda Adams, drove more than 1,100 miles to Nemours Children's Hospital in Wilmington for the procedure.

Adams said her daughter suffers from a rare skeletal condition.

"She has a very rare form of skeletal dysplasia and had a very serious spinal compression, and we went to get that repaired," Adams said.

Madeline spent the past week hospitalized. Rather than face another long drive home, Angel Flight volunteers stepped in to fly her closer to family.

"We're so grateful that we had the opportunity for this," Adams said. "It's really important for us to be home to spend time with our family for the holidays, and I think it's one of the most special things."

Pilot John Solt said missions like this are the most rewarding.

"What draws my heart is to fly children," Solt said. "Medical insurance does not cover transportation to and from treatment, so we're going to get her from here to just north of Chicago, and then they're going to get picked up by another airplane to get them back to Minnesota."