Your donations will go a long way in helping Jessica and her son Israfil, a two-year old boy who suffers from a rare type of cancer, and many other kids across Canada, to fly for medical appointments. This is what the Air Canada Foundation Aeroplan Points Matching Week is all about: helping children reach medical care.

"Your generosity, year after year, truly makes a difference in the lives of children and their families. With your precious contribution we've been able, over the last 18 months, to fly Israfil and his mother Jessica from Saskatoon to BC Children's Hospital for his medical treatments," said Valérie Durand, spokesperson for the Air Canada Foundation. "We are grateful to Aeroplan Members for their donations, which relieve a burden and ultimately allow parents to focus on their children during difficult times."

Until December 5, members who donate Aeroplan points to the Air Canada Foundation Hospital Transportation Program will double the impact of their contribution as the value of the points donated will be matched, up to 500,000 points, by Aeroplan. Through the generosity of Aeroplan Members, the Air Canada Foundation donates millions of Aeroplan points to 15 pediatric hospitals across Canada every year to help children reach the medical care they need away from home.

"We are so grateful to the Air Canada Foundation for providing the Hospital Transportation Program for all Canadian Children's Hospitals through our partnership with Children's Miracle Network. This program ensures that medically complex kids, like Israfil, have the support and access to the care they need, when they need it." agreed Allison Hepworth, BC Children's Hospital Foundation and Tanner Braaten, Jim Pattison Children's Hospital Foundation. 

"This program has been getting us to Israfil's life-saving treatments since he was a year old. We couldn't have done it without it. I can't imagine if we would've had to drive 26 hours every time. You never think about the financial impact of childhood cancer," said Jessica, who expressed her deep gratitude to Aeroplan donors on behalf of her son Israfil.

Since the introduction of the Air Canada Foundation Hospital Transportation Program in 2003, sick children, accompanied by a parent, have been able to obtain the medical care needed away from home. Driving long hours can be strenuous for both the child and the parent, especially when several visits to the hospital are required each month or when treatments last several months. Travelling by air helps families avoid tiring hours on the road and alleviates some of the financial burden of travel expenses, which can cause serious economic and emotional hardship to families. For more information on the Air Canada Foundation Hospital Transportation Program and its impact, visit aircanada.com/foundation.