Kimberley resident Rita Pak wants to spread the word about Angel Flight East Kootenay after the support she’s received from the volunteer-run medical transport service over the past year since a life-altering cancer diagnosis.
Pak was diagnosed with breast cancer in March and was told she would need to start going to Kelowna for multiple appointments and consultations.
“It was already daunting to get a cancer diagnosis for me and my family,” she said. “And then to have to figure out the logistics of getting to and from Kelowna and the next year financially was going to be even more stressful.”
She told The Bulletin that while she had seen a poster for Angel Flight at the Kimberley Medical Clinic and had made donations to them through Save-On-Foods, she never thought she would find herself in need of their services.
“I’m 44 and I just didn’t think I was going to be impacted by cancer this early in my life,” she said. “We have had family members deal with a cancer diagnosis, but for me it was a shock and there’s a lot to consider and put in place when somebody gets a really life-altering diagnosis. Transportation is definitely one of those things that I didn’t have the energy to really think about at the time.”
She decided to reach out to Angel Flight to learn more about what they do and has since been flown by them to and from Kelowna for a few appointments
“I flew with Brent [Bidston, founder and pilot] and I was talking to him about some of the challenges that he’s been facing and how I can help,” she said. “Partially it’s getting the word out to people in the East Kootenay that they’re available. They have helped over 1,000 people last year.
“The number of people has really increased and he saw that since Alberta stopped taking patients from B.C., including children, he’s seen a really huge uptake in need in our region. Because people usually would have in the past gone to Alberta, but now they have to go to Kelowna for specialty appointments.
“In terms of funding, there isn’t a consistent source of funding from the province, even though access to overall health care and medical care is a priority, it’s just Angel Flight is trying to bridge a gap on their own as a charitable organization.”
Pak said she wanted to help, because without Angel Flight she would have had to spend hundreds of dollars, if not $1,000 for a single trip to Kelowna for a one-hour appointment, including gas, accomodation and everything else, plus having to miss three days of work.
“That’s already another out of pocket expense for people who are already in a situation where they need medical care and are already dealing with so much stress, myself included,” she said. “Going to the appointment was scary and having to pay out of pocket to go to this appointment adds an extra burden.”
Pak hopes to not only get the word out about the organization, but encourage people to donate to them if they can, adding Angel Flight is currently down to one plane, and volunteers have been flying double shifts.
She added that while she loves living in Kimberley and that the area has lots of great doctors and health-care providers, there are limitations and hurdles that come with living in a rural community.
“I’ve been really fortunate to have the support of the Canadian Cancer Society and their lodge that’s in Kelowna, Hope Air and the Wheels of Hope,” she said. “All three of those resources along with Angel Flight have been an amazing help while I’m trying to navigate the socio-emotional aspect of having a cancer diagnosis.”
Pak said she’s met many other patients who’ve flown with Angel Flight, including one who told her they were on the verge of ceasing their cancer treatments, as they simply could no longer continue making the drive to and from Kelowna.
“They basically were about to give up until they connected with Angel Flight and it became easier for them to keep travelling to treat their cancer, so it really was life saving for them, because they were ready to just give up and not continue treatment,” she said.
To learn more about Angel Flight East Kootenay, and to make a donation to support their vital work in this region, visit angelflightek.ca.
As originally posted in the Nelson Star, August 22, 2025