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Scottsdale nonprofit flies 3-year-old with life-threatening brain injury to New Orleans for treatment

Wings of Humanity was the idea of a commercial pilot who wanted to help kids in need who were out of treatment options and financial resources.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — A 3-year-old boy dealing with a serious medical condition left the Valley on Tuesday to receive special treatment on the other side of the country.

He's heading to a hospital in New Orleans

"I mean, in all honesty, the flight was the only way to get him there safely," said Toni-Lynn Noe, the boy's mother.

On the tarmac of Scottsdale Airport, waiting for the Wings of Humanity plane to take off, Toni Lynn Noe told us the heart-wrenching story.

It was the night of November 2. Her son, 3-year-old Kayden, was coughing uncontrollably. 

So she brought him to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with croup  – an infection in the upper airway that blocks breathing and causes a barking cough. 

He was given oxygen, steroids and breathing treatments, but nothing was working. Kayden was struggling to breathe and his airways were restricted.

“During that process, his oxygen levels were in the single digits. And his heart rate was in low 20s, and that’s when he sustained the brain injury," Noe said.

Noe discovered the world-renowned Dr. Paul Harch, an expert in hyperbaric medicine, who’s treated brain injuries like Kayden’s.

"Dr. Harch, he was the one that was giving us hope," Noe said.

Wings of Humanity stepped in to get Kayden to New Orleans safely and at no cost to the family.

"This is what makes working so hard on this vision so worthwhile. This is what it’s all about. It’s not really saving children’s lives, it’s saving families," said Wings of Humanity CEO Stan Strom.

With Kayden loaded and strapped in, his parents prayed for a miracle. Hope is now rising as quickly as the Wings of Humanity transport plane. 

"We definitely want everyone to know how amazing Wings of Humanity has been for Kayden," Noe said.

Kayden has made it to New Orleans safely, and we’ll continue to update you on his progress. 

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