PALM COAST, Fla. – Austin Sales space is doing issues not loads of 16-year-olds can say they’ve achieved. He flies planes.

It hasn’t been at all times clean skies although, as Austin was born with a number of medical problems – primarily main coronary heart and lung points. Medical doctors did not anticipate him to dwell 30 seconds previous popping out of his mother’s womb, positively to not 16 years.

“He was born with a one-in-a-million coronary heart. There’s no person else on the earth that has a coronary heart like him. We now have 4 chambers, he has one,” Angie Sales space, Austin’s mom stated.

Angie stated Austin’s had 24 procedures to maintain him alive. 

“He was anticipated to dwell till he was 8 or 9. They stated he would finally outgrow his coronary heart. His coronary heart would simply give up rising and from there he’ll simply begin to decline. Medical doctors have instructed me he will not die of a coronary heart assault, he’ll simply die of his coronary heart failing, when the time does come.”

He clearly has defied that. 

Austin dreamed of flying planes at some point. He began to fall in love with the thought after taking part in video video games. That love quickly changed into actuality.

“My first thought was he will get to do a dream. He will get to have his dream come true,” Angie stated. “Different children at house run touchdowns, hit baseballs. He is prayed to be regular, however God gave him this. It is what we have now to go together with.”

Palm Coast-based Teenagers in Flight took Austin up for his first flying lesson in December 2020. 

“It was enjoyable, scary, type of like, intimidating trigger you do not know what is going on to occur after. Like the place are the birds, the place is the radar, what do sure buttons do, what do sure buttons not do,” Austin stated.

When requested if he forgets about all of the difficult well being points he is going by means of, Austin had a reasonably easy reply.

“I do not actually like to consider these. I do not actually ever take into consideration them. They’re simply type of there,” Austin stated.

Teenagers in Flight was initially began to assist survivors of army family members killed in battle, quickly it expanded to incorporate the kids of first responders. The purpose was to assist teenagers whose dad and mom had been killed or damage in battle, or within the line of obligation. Now, the group additionally helps at-risk youth and youngsters from low-income households.

“Austin got here to us about two years in the past. He is already outlived his life expectancy. At the moment, his dying want was to go up in a small airplane. So, we took him up not simply take him, however he had an opportunity to really fly it,” Ric Lehman, Govt Director for Teen in Flight stated.

Whereas it may be scary for Angie to see her son fly a airplane, she is aware of it is all value it.

“He is prayed to be regular. You realize, God gave him this, and it is what he has. It is what we have now to go together with. You realize, have him be capable of fly is a dream come true as a result of he completely loves it,” Angie stated.