Angel Flight(R) Southeast News Media Alert; Nine-Month-Old Victim of Hanhart Syndrome to Fly Free on Flights from Fairhope, Ala. to Miami for Treatment at Children's Hospital This Sunday, Jan. 15th, Returning Tuesday, Jan. 17th.

LEESBURG, Fla. -- Angel Flight(R) Southeast (AFSE), the 23-year-old nonprofit organization of more than 1,000 volunteer pilots who flew thousands of people for medical, humanitarian and post-hurricane disaster relief missions in 2005, will fly a nine-month-old girl from the Mobile, Alabama, area to Miami Children's Hospital as part of her ongoing treatment for a very rare disease that has claimed the baby's arms, part of one leg and part of her jaw and tongue. Her story has been covered extensively by Miami-area news media.

Hanhart Syndrome is a rare birth defect in which the typical symptoms are a short, incompletely developed tongue, absent or partially missing fingers and/or toes; malformed arms and legs; and an extremely small jaw. Six-month-old Lydia Cassidy will be flying with her adoptive father Ed Casady for MRI examination and possible surgery to continue reforming Lydia's jaw.

The flight will take off early Sunday morning from the airport in Fairhope, Ala., to Ocala, Fla., then switch pilots and flights and continue on to Miami. Lydia and Ed will return on Tuesday morning via the same route.

Flight and Family Contact Information

    1) W. Colton Coile, outbound Angel Flight Southeast pilot from
       Fairhope, Ala., CELL PHONE: [phone] (flying Lydia
       and Ed halfway from Fairhope to Central Florida - another
       pilot takes over at Cross City, Fla. and flies them onto
       Miami/Opa Locka Airport)
    2) John Deaton, Angel Flight Southeast pilot flying from Cross
       City, Fla. to Miami International Airport,
       CELL PHONE: [phone]
    3) Ed Casady, Lydia's adoptive father: CELL PHONE: [phone]
    4) Serena Marshall, Miami Children's Hospital social worker, CELL
       PHONE: [phone]
    5) William Britt, outbound pilot from Miami/Opa Locka to Ocala,
       Fla. Airport, PHONE: [phone]
    6) Princy Lala, outbound pilot from Ocala, Fla. Airport to
       Fairhope, Ala. Airport, CELL PHONE: [phone]
    7) Jim Brown, Angel Flight Southeast director of public affairs,
       at 407-497-2789

About Angel Flight Southeast

Angel Flight Southeast (AFSE) is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization of more than 1,000 volunteer pilots who utilize their own aircraft, fuel and time to provide free air transportation to medical facilities for citizens who are financially distressed or otherwise unable to travel on public transportation.

AFSE also coordinates missions to fly disaster relief personnel and victims, organ transplant candidates, people involved in clinical trials, chemotherapy or other repetitive treatment, victims of abuse seeking relocation, those receiving help from Ronald McDonald(R) Houses, Shriners Hospitals and many other charities, disabled or sick children to special summer camp programs and for many other humanitarian reasons.

Last year, AFSE coordinated more than 2,500 air missions within its five-state region. AFSE is one of six geographic regions affiliated with Angel Flight(R) America. For more information, including on-line donations, go to http://www.angelflightse.org.