TJ Kim, a 16-year-old pilot, has been flying personal protective equipment to small, rural hospitals in Virginia and West Virginia since the pandemic began, according to WBOY, a dual NBC/ABC affiliate in West Virginia.
On Jan. 25, he flew from Leesburg, Va., to North Central West Virginia Airport with 5,000 pieces of PPE for Mon Health Preston Memorial Hospital in Kingwood, W.Va.
He started delivering PPE to small and rural hospitals when the pandemic began last year, calling his efforts Supplies Over Skies or Operation SOS, WBOY reported.
"Flight training was one of the few things I have left to do, and I still wanted to find a way to go out and serve in the community, and there’s a lot of small hospitals hurting. After I made my first delivery, I saw how much in need people were, and so that’s what has motivated me to keep going," Mr. Kim told WBOY.
Mr. Kim said he has been getting the supplies within his community.
Melissa Lockwood, chief administrative officer of Mon Health Preston Memorial Hospital, told WBOY that the deliveries of PPE from Mr. Kim have been "absolutely essential" for the hospital, especially as they've been seeing increased rates of COVID-19.
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