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Southwest Airlines Community

Medical Transportation Grant Program: Cora’s Journey

dwafford
Employee
Employee

 

 

 

Loving People is at the Heart of Southwest Airlines, and one of the many ways we connect with our communities is through our Medical Transportation Grant Program (MTGP), which is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year! Through this special program, Southwest provides complimentary, round-trip travel to nonprofit hospitals and medical transportation organizations so that medical patients and their family members can travel for specialized life-saving or life-changing medical care.

 

We are honored to work with nonprofit hospitals and medical transport organizations nationwide that support this mission, like Shriners Children’s. Shriners is also celebrating its own milestone this year—2022 marks the healthcare system’s 100th anniversary of providing care! “For 100 years, Shriners Children’s has focused on its mission to provide specialized medical care for children. For the past 15 years, Southwest Airlines’ Medical Transportation Grant Program has made it possible for thousands of children without the resources needed to travel to come to our pediatric hospitals or medical centers and receive the life-changing care and treatment they need,” said Mel Bower, chief marketing and communications officer for Shriners Children’s. “We are deeply grateful for your generosity and commitment to those in need. Thank you for helping Shriners Children’s make a difference and improve lives.”

 

As we reflect on 15 years of giving through this program, we’re reminded of the extraordinary friends we’ve supported along the way, like sweet little Cora, a patient at Shriners Children’s Philadelphia. Cora was born with arthrogryposis, a rare condition that can cause stiff joints in the arms and legs at birth. Since March 2021 Cora has flown to Shriners Children’s to receive treatment, often flying on Southwest through MTGP. “[Receiving this support] relieved a lot of stress and kept things peaceful,” shared Coryn, Cora’s mom. “It’s made our transition from one state to the next for healthcare easier.”

 

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While many of our Customers are traveling for business or leisure—it warms my heart that we are also using our seats to help support thousands of patients, annually, that must travel for special medical care, like our friend Cora.