When Heroes Meet Heroes: Life Lion's Impact on Cancer Families
When a Life Lion flight nurse saves a teenager's life, he never expects to meet him again. Ten years later, that young man returns—not as a patient, but as a father—to say thank you.
Ten-year-old William, a leukemia survivor, discovers a new dream while exploring a Life Lion helicopter: "I may want to be a helicopter mechanic." Maria, a Wilms tumor survivor, remembers the kindness of her transport crew. And Lisa Kreider shares a stunning revelation: Life Lion saved her life sixteen years ago after a car accident—then saved her daughter Maria during cancer treatment.
But the emotional center belongs to Dan Schaeffer, Life Lion's Chief Flight Nurse. At a recent fundraiser, a young man approached him: "Thank you for taking care of me." Dan didn't recognize the face. Then came the moment: "I want to introduce you to my family and kids."
Ten years ago, Dan transported a seventeen-year-old with a traumatic brain injury. Today, that teenager is a father.
"You don't think about those things in the moment," Dan reflects. "That hit really home to me. This is what I do. This is why I do it."
This episode follows Four Diamonds families to Life Lion EMS Day, where the people doing the rescuing get to see what happened next. From Dexter McConnell, a pilot who flies in weather others turn down, to Matt Baily, who treats "the sickest of the sick"—this is a story about profound connections and the impact that ripples out in ways we can't imagine.
Topics Covered:
- William's journey from leukemia patient to aspiring helicopter mechanic
- Maria's Wilms tumor treatment and Life Lion transport
- Lisa's revelation: two generations saved by the same team
- Dan Shcaeffer's emotional reunion with a patient ten years later
- The challenges of flying Life Lion: weather, training, and split-second decisions
- Life Lion EMS Day: teaching kids that aircraft maintenance parallels their own healthcare
- The "Life Lion Family" culture of support and camaraderie
- Matt Baily's story of the Lancaster infant in cardiac arrest
- Four Diamonds' role in removing financial burden for cancer families
- How life-saving work ripples out in ways we can't imagine
About Life on Pause: Life on Pause is a podcast for and by young adults with cancer. Produced by Penn State Health's AYA Oncology Program, each episode is rooted in honest storytelling and community connection. Our content is reviewed by medical and psychosocial experts to ensure accuracy and care.
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