Darrell Nordeen

HALO-Flight was directly introduced to me in a very abrupt way during Father’s Day of 2000. My wife, daughter, and I were headed home after lunch after attending a church service, when we were in a terrible car accident outside of Kingsville, Texas. I don’t remember much of the scene, but I do know that without HALO-Flight’s quick response and their ability to fly me directly into a trauma care facility, that I would very possibly not be here today.

With the life threatening injuries that I received, I had to undergo several months of Intensive Care and rehab until I was released to go home. Following a year of recuperation and finally returning to work, I knew that I had to become more involved in this non-profit organization that helped to save my life and in 2001, I became a HALO-Flight Board Member. Since joining the Board, I have held several positions and now serve as Vice President of the Board.

While on the Board, I have seen many positive changes and great improvements. The most pronounced change has been the growth from one helicopter to three with a fourth on order. The second major change has been the addition of the Alice, TX base which greatly reduces our response time to critical incidents. I am most thankful for the tremendous staff and superior commitment to safety. Our services have assisted thousands of individuals with no serious unplanned events. Like the early addition of NVG (night vision goggles), the new aircraft, a Bell 429, brings a new level of flight safety and ability to respond in inclement weather.

I share my story with you because I am so grateful and because I want community members to know the work that HALO-Flight does on a daily basis. My experience is one of many of the thousands of lives that have been saved because of this organization and their mission.

Respectfully,

Darrell Nordeen
Vice-President, HALO-Flight Board of Directors