George's Journey To Silver Wings
Donation protected
First a quick story about Me and George, and then a description of why we are raising money for him!
George and I (Zack) met through ROTC at the University of Alabama. He has been my gym partner, my mentee, my best friend, my friend to laugh at and my friend who laughs at me. George and I have grown so much together throughout the past 4 years, whether it has been through our faith, our friendship or our accomplishments. We have spent the past 4 years talking/dreaming about being pilots, researching airplanes and always thinking we are way cooler than we actually are. We have lived on each other’s couches, fixed each other’s cars and prayed for each other endlessly. Just a few years ago, we were kids and suddenly in the blink of an eye we are officers in the military. It's hard to believe but I can't even begin to express how proud I am of him and all he has been able to accomplish.
Recently, George began his journey of becoming an Air Force pilot and while in the first phase of training in Colorado, he began to notice pain in his back. It got to the point where he had to notify the instructors because he wasn't sure if the pain would compromise safety of flight. After numerous Doctor appointments, X-rays and MRI's, George has been diagnosed with having a herniated disk and is scheduled to have spinal surgery at the end of October. Although the surgery is intimidating and pretty serious, the bigger issue seems to be the fact that George is now permanently disqualified from becoming a pilot in the USAF. It doesn't seem fair that after all the screenings, selection boards, required qualifications and training, George was so close to fulfilling a lifelong dream only to be set back by this. If you know George like I do, his dreams to fly are bigger than any "set back" and of course the sky has plenty of room for him to fly in. The big thing to note is that although George is now medically unable to fly for the USAF, he is still able to fly as a civilian! The average cost of a Private Pilots License is $8-$10K primarily due to the cost of the instructor, aircraft and fuel. A Private Pilots License will allow George to fly recreationally as a civilian while also being able to begin his pursuit of becoming a commercial pilot. I do believe that with all the friends and family of George throughout the country, we can surely raise enough money to make his dream come true!
Here’s the plan!
George will have a 6-8 month recovery from the surgery, which will consist of a lot of physical therapy and hard work. I think the best way to congratulate him for all his hard work in the recovery process will be to SURPRISE him with the money we have all raised for him. George is facing almost guaranteed lifelong pain and discomfort and my only hope is that in some way, those silver wings he has always dreamed of will take away the pain. Through the help of many, the goal of $10K will be easily accomplished! Thank you for your donation and of course, ROLL TIDE!
George and I (Zack) met through ROTC at the University of Alabama. He has been my gym partner, my mentee, my best friend, my friend to laugh at and my friend who laughs at me. George and I have grown so much together throughout the past 4 years, whether it has been through our faith, our friendship or our accomplishments. We have spent the past 4 years talking/dreaming about being pilots, researching airplanes and always thinking we are way cooler than we actually are. We have lived on each other’s couches, fixed each other’s cars and prayed for each other endlessly. Just a few years ago, we were kids and suddenly in the blink of an eye we are officers in the military. It's hard to believe but I can't even begin to express how proud I am of him and all he has been able to accomplish.
Recently, George began his journey of becoming an Air Force pilot and while in the first phase of training in Colorado, he began to notice pain in his back. It got to the point where he had to notify the instructors because he wasn't sure if the pain would compromise safety of flight. After numerous Doctor appointments, X-rays and MRI's, George has been diagnosed with having a herniated disk and is scheduled to have spinal surgery at the end of October. Although the surgery is intimidating and pretty serious, the bigger issue seems to be the fact that George is now permanently disqualified from becoming a pilot in the USAF. It doesn't seem fair that after all the screenings, selection boards, required qualifications and training, George was so close to fulfilling a lifelong dream only to be set back by this. If you know George like I do, his dreams to fly are bigger than any "set back" and of course the sky has plenty of room for him to fly in. The big thing to note is that although George is now medically unable to fly for the USAF, he is still able to fly as a civilian! The average cost of a Private Pilots License is $8-$10K primarily due to the cost of the instructor, aircraft and fuel. A Private Pilots License will allow George to fly recreationally as a civilian while also being able to begin his pursuit of becoming a commercial pilot. I do believe that with all the friends and family of George throughout the country, we can surely raise enough money to make his dream come true!
Here’s the plan!
George will have a 6-8 month recovery from the surgery, which will consist of a lot of physical therapy and hard work. I think the best way to congratulate him for all his hard work in the recovery process will be to SURPRISE him with the money we have all raised for him. George is facing almost guaranteed lifelong pain and discomfort and my only hope is that in some way, those silver wings he has always dreamed of will take away the pain. Through the help of many, the goal of $10K will be easily accomplished! Thank you for your donation and of course, ROLL TIDE!
Organizer
Zachary Taylor
Organizer
Columbus, MS
