The co-founder and ceo of Samaritan Aviation now leads a Christian non-profit that delivers medicine and transports the injured by plane in a remote area of Papua New Guinea. As part of a nationwide fund-raising tour, he'll visit with supporters in Muscatine on Sunday (9/19).
There's just one hospital in the region served by Samaritan Aviation.
"In Iowa, imagine the closest hospital being in Salt Lake City, Utah and having to drive that far every time you had a critical emergency. That's really what these people are dealing with over there, and they just don't have access."
He has a staff of 25, with three planes, and they're on call 24 hours a day - pilots, mechanics, nurses, and doctors.
"We've delivered over 200,000 pounds of medical supplies now to these remote aid posts and these remote communities which has saved thousands and thousands of lives. Before we came it would take three to six months for these aid posts to receive their medical supplies."
Once he decided to establish a medical missionary outreach in Papua New Guinea, he then had to learn to be a pilot and mechanic. Samaritan Aviation was formed in 2,000.
Flying one of his newest planes, Palm will stop at the Muscatine Airport on Sunday from 4 to 6 pm.
