TJ Kim just turned 16-years-old and doesn't have his driver's license yet, but he is working on his flying license. His father gifted him a flying lesson for his 15th birthday.
He's using his flying lessons along with his father's help to bring much needed medical supplies to rural hospitals in Virginia during the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. Kim has more free time right now since schools are closed and his lacrosse season is effectively over so he wanted to find a way to help. He created Operation SOS (Supplies Over Skies) and his goal is to make deliveries to all seven rural hospitals in the state defined as critical access hospitals.
His first delivery in late March brought in gloves, masks, gowns, and other equipment to a 25-bed hospital. That's not all, on another flight he brought 3,000 gloves, 1,000 head covers, 500 shoe covers, 50 nonsurgical masks, 20 pairs of protective eyewear, and 10 bottles of hand sanitizer to supply a hospital in nearby Woodstock.
Flight instructor Dave Powell praised the young student’s initiative. He told Associated Press,
“For TJ to be more concerned with the needs of others in his melancholy state just reiterated to me how amazing this young man is."
Photo: Getty Images