Angels don't always wear wings

Coffs Harbour woman grateful for the work of Angel Flight

Mark Breen with Tracie Felton. Picture: Picture: Angelo Velardo

MARK Breen, a retired senior public servant in Sydney, found he had a great deal of time on his hands when he finished his career so he began hunting around for volunteer work.

He found Angel Flight, a charity that flies country people, struggling with bad health or poor finances, to the city for medical appointments.

Mr Breen last week drove to Bankstown Airport in his own vehicle to pick up a passenger Coffs Harbour's Tracie Felton, taking her to be treated for spinal cord injury in Redfern.

It was Mr Breen's 50th Angel Flight pick-up since he began volunteering with the organisation.

"I had volunteered for years in various roles but when I retired I went hunting on the internet to do something for the community, and I found Angel Flight,” Mr Breen said.

"The first trip I did was to collect a four-month-old baby with a brain tumour.

"I've picked up cancer patients, a 70-year-old with a lung transplant and a woman who was having a kidney transplant, and her husband who was donating his kidney to her.

"You get to know some of these people really well and hear their stories.”

An Angel Flight spokesman said the organisation relies on people like Mr Breen to provide their time, and their vehicles, for free.

"He is a local community hero and is deserving of some recognition,” the spokesman said.

Mr Breen has been nominated by Angel Flight for a Pride of Australia medal.