Since Canada is a country of vast distances, many people who live far from large urban centres often face challenges in accessing the healthcare they need.
Mikaela Pond and Jennifer Miller, both registered nurses working in Northern B.C., decided to raise awareness of those difficulties and raise money for the national charity Hope Air.
Since 1986, Hope Air has been providing free flights to financially-disadvantaged Canadians so that they can have access to medical expertise and technologies that can only be found in large urban centres.
“We are both nurses and have seen first-hand the disadvantages that rural B.C. residents face when requiring specialized healthcare,” said Pond. “Many people go through financial struggle and have to travel 800 km up to over 1600 km simply to access healthcare they need.”
In an effort to raise $6000 for Hope Air, the two nurses rode 750 km from Prince Rupert to Prince George in just six days. Their ride started Aug. 30 and ended Sept. 4, with a stop in Burns Lake on Sept. 2, 2015.
“We wanted to cycle the distance that many people travel to access specialized care, recognizing that the travel is often much longer if Prince George doesn't have the services,” said Pond. “Seeing people struggled to access care was our original motivation; now our motivation is hearing stories of how Hope Air has helped so many people.”
Last year, Hope Air arranged over 5000 flights in B.C. alone, with most flights departing from Northern B.C. and Interior to destinations such as Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal, where the majority of medical specialists are located.
“Hope Air really does a great job at bridging this gap in access to healthcare; they help individuals and whole families who struggle financially to get to healthcare services in a timely way,” said Pond. “I have heard so many positive and heartwarming stories about Hope Air; I can’t think of a better charity for this ride.”
One flight costs Hope Air on average $250, so the two nurses were asking people to consider adopting a flight and help them reach their goal of $6000.
As of Sept. 2, the nurses had already raised over $4000. The money raised will go directly to Hope Air and will provide 25 flights for Northern B.C. residents.
Pond said that although she had already participated in competitive sporting events, this bike ride presented particular challenges.
“We knew it would hard,” said Pond. “This was a different level of pain and exhaustion; somewhere around 100 km goes any ability to make decisions.”
“First things go numb - hands, feet, butt; then the pain sets - in neck, knees, thighs; then comes the intense discomfort that is nothing more than pure exhaustion.”
“It's all well worth raising money for flights for people in need,” said Pond.
To donate or check how much money the nurses have raised, go to fundrazr.com and search for Hope Air, or go directly to fundrazr.com/campaigns/1105M4