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Newark, Ill. – August 8, 2006 – Billy Moore is nine years old and recently moved to Ottawa, Ill. from Homer Glen, Ill.
When Billy was four months old our family had a house fire and both he and his father were burned. Billy suffered severe burns over 28% of his body. For many days it was uncertain if he would survive. After six very long days he underwent skin graft surgery. For several more days his family waited to determine if the procedures were going to be successful.
The physicians at Loyola Medical Center could not predict the outcome, as Billy was still an infant and were uncertain if he would ever walk.
After many months of physical therapy and more surgery Billy proved that he is resilient. He did not walk or even crawl, as it was much too painful. However, after some time Billy stood up and later started running. With every passing year he still surpasses expectations and plays baseball, basketball and football.
Billy will need continued reconstructive surgery until he reaches adulthood. It is a struggle for him daily as children and sometimes adults will ask him about his scars. This is something that he does not want to talk about because he does not want to be different. Billy is lucky as he can cover up his scars if he chooses to, so they cannot be seen.
However it was just recently that Billy was given an opportunity to fulfill a dream that began when he was four or five years old.
Billy was offered the opportunity to fly and to answer his own questions about what it must feel like to soar with the eagles.
Billy, his father and I went to our local airport, Cushing Field in Newark, Ill. where Billy was introduced to pilot Ray Sofia.
Ray is a police officer, Young Eagles pilot, and a 1st Lt. in the United States Air Force Auxiliary C.A.P. (Civil Air Patrol, Fox Valley Wing at the Dupage County Airport).
Ray showed Billy the airplane, walked him through the Young Eagles packet and aircraft preflight inspection. After a very informative and professional introduction to the program and aircraft, the two took off for Billy’s first flight. They were in the air for close to an hour.
In the four short days since this flight he has not been able to stop smiling, bragging and talking about his time in the sky. He has begun selling his treasured Yu-Gi-Oh cards to earn money to a remote control airplane that he saw at the local hobby shop. It is apparently a “must have.” He has also checked out a book from the school library to determine exactly what he needs to study to become a pilot.
My thanks go out to Ray Sofia and the EAA Young Eagles program that brought the largest smile to my son’s face in years and allowed him to experience the thrill of flight.
Thank you with all our heart,
The Moore Family
Ottawa, Illinois
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Billy Moore on his Young Eagles flight.
Billy takes the controls.
Young Eagles pilot Ray Sofia, Billy’s father, Phil Moore, Billy’s mother, Betty Moore and Billy stand in front of Sofia’s Cessna 152.
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