Represents 13 Percent Increase Over February's Total

The nation's leading medical flight provider, Miracle Flights, concluded March with 640 free flights provided to families of children battling rare and life-threatening illnesses, according to the Las Vegas–based charity.

Established in 1985, Miracle Flights arranges commercial airline flights at no cost to help children with complex medical needs gain access to specialized treatment far from home. Since its inception, the nonprofit has provided 115,752 total flights and flown more than 65 million miles to improve access to healthcare for those in need.

March's flight numbers reflect an almost 13 percent increase over February's total flight number of 567. The organization provides approximately 600 free flights each month, with the average flight costing around $500.

Even as flight numbers continue to grow, Miracle Flights CEO Mark E. Brown notes, as the charity heads into its final month of fiscal year 2017-18, that his priority is quality over quantity. "Of course it's encouraging to see our flight numbers climb and demand for our services grow month after month, but it's important we temper that with the understanding that these children have complex medical conditions that must be accommodated first and foremost," said Brown. "Parents often travel with extra suitcases full of medications and equipment, such as heart monitors and feeding tubes. In some cases, children are wheelchair bound, and that's a consideration that must be taken into account as well."

"For those reasons, a key measure of success is not, 'Did we provide the most flights possible?' but 'Did we provide the most comfortable flights possible?'—for instance, by avoiding stressful layovers and preventing long drives to and from the airport," said Brown. "Our mission is to provide hope to these families, and how we deliver that hope matters."

Miracle Flights accommodated families from 33 U.S. states last month and seven foreign countries, including Germany, Croatia, Mexico, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru and the Dominican Republic.

(Source: Miracle Flights news release)

FMI: www.miracleflights.org