A young Congolese refugee with a medical condition has been supported to get the care she needs thanks to settlement agency AMES Australia and medical charity Angel Flight.

Twenty-two-year-old Aisha, who arrived in Australia with her family in August last year, has an immunocompromised condition which needs specialist care not available in Mildura.

While some of her medical appointments were facilitated through Telehealth, Aisha also needed face-to-face appointments in Melbourne, presenting a serious challenge to her and her family because of the distance and chances of her falling ill enroute.

AMES Case Manager Jules Kangeta researched medical charities and organisations that might be able to assist with Aisha’s journey.

He identified Angel Flight – a charity which coordinates non-emergency flights to assist country people to access specialist medical treatment – as an option, and through his advocacy and referral, he was successful in obtaining return medical transported flight from Mildura to Melbourne for Aisha and her brother to support her during the journey.

Jules said Aisha’s critical medical issue needed an innovative response.

“It was too difficult for Aisha and her family to get to Melbourne for treatment, so we had to find a way to make it happen,” he said.

“Aisha and her brother flew to Melbourne, had a successful appointment and flew home on the same day. We are grateful to Angel Flight and Aisha and her family are happy with the support they received,” Jules said.

AMES Manager Operations and Practice Eileene Shapland said Jules’ initiative had produced a great outcome for Aisha.

“I am so proud of Jules’s going above and beyond through his advocacy to achieve such a tremendous outcome for our client,” she said.

AMES Australia is a provider of humanitarian settlement, education, training and employment services to refugees, asylum seekers and newly arrived migrants across Australia.

Operating in Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales and Tasmania, the agency delivers a range of federal and state government programs including refugee settlement, language and training courses and employment services.

Angel Flight Australia is a charitable organisation coordinating free, non-emergency flights and ground transportation so people who live in rural and regional Australia can access the specialist medical treatments they need.

To find out more about Angel Flight visit www.angelflight.org.au