Peter DeGennaro was 28 years old and dying from terminal brain cancer. His last wish was to visit his grandfather who lived in New Jersey, but Peter was from Maine and was too sick to travel by car or board a commercial airline.

How Peter got to fulfill his wish is an uplifting story that involves many selfless people who came together for Peter and stayed together to make other patients’ futures take flight.

Joe Howley, a volunteer pilot from Greenwich, Conn., had been flying Peter between Bangor and Boston for his chemotherapy treatments and on their more than 20 flights together had formed a bond, so Joe volunteered to take Peter to see his grandfather.

A few days after his final flight home, Peter passed away.  Joe honored him by memorializing Peter as Patient No. 1 for the organization that Joe had recently founded called Patient AirLift Services (PALS).

Based in Farmingdale, PALS arranges free air transportation for people requiring medical care or other humanitarian assistance. Volunteer pilots not only donate their time and their aircraft, they pay for the jet fuel, landing fees and any other expenses, including hotels and meals.

Since PALS’ inaugural flight in May 2010, their pilots have logged more than 700 flights. This year they hope to double that number, which would give PALS the distinction of being the fastest growing volunteer pilot organization in the U.S.  Right now, they cover the Northeast and as far west and south as Ohio and Virginia.

Connecting people to pilots and overseeing the day to day operations of this massive undertaking is Executive Director, Eileen Minogue. “Our mission is big,” she says, “We will be a national organization within five years.”

With her energy and background, Eileen could be right. As Eileen introduced me to her staff, she was quick to credit each and every one with being an integral part of PALS’ rapid growth. What they’ve accomplished so far is impressive.

For passengers, PALS services are more than just a plane ride: they provide hope. Often these patients have had to face the prospect that the treatment they need is too far away and their health insurance won’t cover the costs of transportation, temporary housing and travel expenses. That knowledge can be a devastating revelation. For others who are living on borrowed time, PALS provides a faster way to reach medical facilities which is crucial, especially for someone needing an organ transplant.

PALS aircraft give patients access to more than 5,000 privately owned airports across the U.S., whereas commercial airlines only reach 500 airports. For qualifying patients, Eileen says there is no waiting list.

Once a jet lands, another PALS network steps in.  Known as Auto Pilots, volunteer drivers provide ground transportation from the runway directly to the medical facility, ensuring that the patients arrive at their destination quickly and at no charge.  Auto Pilots are an essential part of the PALS mission, and together the air and ground transportation team can save patients untold hours of travel time while relieving them of a huge financial burden so their focus is centered on getting well.

“Too often,” Eileen says, “free transportation isn’t even a consideration for some people. Our service can make their lives a lot easier. It helps keep a semblance of normalcy. People can keep their jobs.”

PALS also provide air transportation for people who aren’t able to take commercial flights for a variety of reasons. PALS make flights available for military personnel to reunite with their families, and wounded veterans are flown to the medical facility that provides the best treatment for their recovery.

Right now Eileen’s biggest hurdle isn’t finding volunteer pilots or “auto pilots”; it’s spreading the word about PALS’ free services to local health care professionals and institutions, letting them know that they can refer patients to them at no cost to the patient or referring institution.

Eileen estimates that a typical flight costs about $350 in outreach coordination and depending on several variables including the type of aircraft and flying distance, costs can range from $300 to $1,500 per flight, which is borne by the pilot.

PALS operates on grants and private donations secured by Eileen, her board of directors and staff.  Eileen’s expertise in fundraising is well-known in her hometown.  She is the current president of the Massapequa Community Fund, and has helped raise more than $1.6 million and distributed almost $1 million in scholarships and grants in the Massapequa area. Eileen got tapped for this role when she reconnected with her old friend, actor Billy Baldwin, at a high school reunion; Baldwin had helped to establish the fund in 2001.  “He told me that he heard I was good at fundraising,” Eileen says with a laugh.

Her exceptional history as a fundraiser, coupled with her ability to recruit outstanding people has brought an unrivaled humanitarian service to Long Island. The satisfaction of being a part of an organization that gives hope to people in desperate need is not included in most job descriptions. For Eileen Minogue it is a way of life.

For more information or to volunteer, call 888-818-1231, or go to www.PALServices.org or email Eileen at minogue@palservices.org