Tempus Flies Newborn with Life-threatening Condition to Virginia

Tempus Jets partnered with World Pediatric Project to transport a newborn baby born with an incomplete esophagus from Belize to Virginia for life-saving surgery. If left untreated, the condition is fatal since the child cannot eat or swallow.

World Pediatric Project, a nonprofit that provides diagnostic and surgical care to children in Central America and the Caribbean, contacted Tempus Jets for its assistance in transporting baby Shamir following his birth on December 18 in Corozal, Belize. The aircraft is managed and operated by Tempus Jets and was donated by an anonymous client.

The airplane was flown from Virginia to Belize on December 26 by Tempus chief pilot Bob Lake. Tempus has partnered with the nonprofit organization twice before, providing aircraft and assistance. “We were honored to utilize the aviation assets of Tempus to help the World Pediatric Project team accomplish their life-saving mission,” said Tempus Jets founder and CEO Scott Terry.

Baby Shamir is currently at the Children's Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University, where he is receiving intravenous feeding to strengthen him before reconstructive surgery, anticipated to occur within the next 10 days. Doctors said he has an “excellent prognosis.”