Aeroworx provides a vital evacuation service to individuals and families in Africa – if there is a medical emergency, Aeroworx is there to help.
Africa is a vast and beautiful continent, with so much to offer. It’s why people from all over the world come to visit and then make it their home. But that rugged, rudimentary charm can also mean that everyday services such as sophisticated healthcare just aren’t available locally. And that can be a real cause for concern for ex-pats, private individuals, families and groups not covered by company policies.
That’s why having an emergency evacuation policy with Aeroworx is vital – it’s peace of mind that should a medical crisis arise, there is help at hand.
It’s a situation that Fiona Killough and her family recognise all too well. “I guess you could call us a truly international family,” says Fiona. “I am British, my husband is American and our four children were all born in different countries. We now live in Angola, working with Overland Missions, a faith-based organisation, providing support to local tribal groups.”
Overland Missions required Fiona and her family to have evacuation insurance but it was also something Fiona and her husband felt they needed, too. “I’ve been in hospitals here in Angola where the sheets are bloodstained, there’s no running water, no soap and really poor sanitary conditions. We wanted to have peace of mind, knowing, if necessary, we could get to somewhere with better medical care within a short timeframe. The actual process of taking out the Aeroworx policy was the easiest and simplest of any insurance policy I’ve ever applied for.”
Before long, Fiona needed Aeroworx’s help. “My two-year-old daughter became sick with vomiting, diarrhoea and fever. We took her to the local hospital for malaria testing and blood work but they couldn’t find anything. She was put on anti-malarial medicine, antibiotics, anti-parasite tablets and so on. But she continued to get sicker and weaker – and this went on for nine days.”
The family relocated to a bigger hospital in a city three hours’ drive away. The doctors there were very concerned. Fiona continues: “A test suggested she might have typhoid fever but the doctors told us they weren’t able to help a child this young. So, we contacted Aeroworx – and thankfully they just took over. They knew what questions to ask, what paperwork was needed and were always one step ahead of the game.
“Thanks to Aeroworx, our daughter was evacuated to a really good hospital in Namibia and an amazing paediatrician took great care of her. She was on IVs for a few days and slowly regained strength. I remember, she had been lying down for at least a week, when she started to sit up. I panicked and I thought, ‘What’s happening?’ She kind of weekly lifted her little arm and pointed outside to where there was a kids play area and said, ‘I want to go there.’ At that moment, the relief overwhelmed me and I just thought, ‘Oh my gosh, there’s my child. She just wants to go and play again.’ I hadn’t seen that in what felt like an eternity.
“She was there for just under a week and made a full recovery. Then her older sister started to show the same symptoms of typhoid fever but she was treated and recovered, too. When we were discharged, Aeroworx also helped us with the return flights. We were just so thankful for everything Aeroworx did for us.”
Later, Fiona and her family found themselves using another evacuation provider’s services – and it wasn’t a good experience. “For work, we had to get a different international insurance policy and that came with evacuation insurance. So, we thought there’s no point having the Aeroworx policy, too. What a mistake!
“We had to do another medical evacuation for our third daughter with a different company, and it was absolutely awful. A horrendous experience. We learned our lesson and we have decided we will never go without an Aeroworx policy ever again. Even if we have a comprehensive policy, we will double up.”
Aeroworx policies start at an affordable $30 a month person – less than a dollar a day. It’s an investment in personal health security that is, as Fiona attests, well worth making.
“Even if we never need to use Aeroworx again, my husband and I say we will happily pay for the rest of our lives. Aeroworx took away so much fear, concern and uncertainty. The value of having an Aeroworx policy is something we really can’t put a price on. We have so much gratitude to Graham and his team – as long as we are in Africa, we will be with Aeroworx.”
