Future airline pilot Kevin Query has been bringing present comfort to young chemotherapy patients since mid-November.
The Traverse City East Junior High School eighth grader has grabbed his dad's laptop loaded with Microsoft Flight Simulator and headed to Munson Medical Center's Infusion Clinic. There, he sets up computer and joystick and then plays with a patient getting chemo, with the flight simulator providing a fun distraction. Hanging out for usually an hour of the three- to four-hour procedure — patients typically get tired and sleep at that point — Kevin helps make a difficult situation easier.
"I think it's cool,” said Steven Howes, 16, of the flight simulator as he zoomed a Lear jet around the San Diego airport. "I've never done it before.”
Steven, from Brethren, was at the clinic last Friday morning for his first chemo treatment. He quickly became friends with Kevin, a few years younger and a stranger, thanks to the bonding magic of the video game.
"I just sort of let them fly, give them pointers and let them get comfortable,” said Kevin, who has been an aficionado of the game for seven years. "They sit there for four hours just doing nothing.”
A self-possessed young man mature beyond his years, Kevin said he was initially apprehensive about working with people who were so ill. After a handful of visits to the Infusion Clinic, it is now blue skies all the way.
"Being around sick people, at first I was sort of nervous but it was perfectly normal,” he said. "I've worked with people who have had cancer, all different types of cancer.”
Rebecca Asper, R.N. and the manager of the Infusion Clinic, coordinates Kevin's volunteer schedule, penciling him in when a younger person is due. Noting that the clinic has volunteers pitching in with quilts, hats and other donations for youthful attendees, Kevin's contribution has been unique.
"He's such an interesting kid, he's definitely a role model for other kids to volunteer,” Asper said.
Because of a patient cancellation on one of his visits, Kevin and a senior citizen played the flight simulator, both having a blast.
"They just had this great connection,” said Asper. "We really appreciate it, it must be his mom or dad who comes and gets him from school and brings him here.”
Kevin misses his last period of the school day when he does his volunteer work but his counselor at school, Mandy Blumenfeld, helps smooth the path. His volunteer hours will also count for National Junior Honors Society community service hours.
"He's getting lessons in another part of life than what's in a book,” noted his dad, Mike.
With his dad a frequent business traveler, Kevin became captivated by flight when he was three years old after watching landings and take offs at the Cherry Capital Airport. Having already mapped out his training and career path, which he hopes includes working for Air New Zealand at some point, Query joined Northwestern Michigan College's new AEROS program this year.
Geared to teens, the youth aviation program gives participants a broad range of experiences including flight training, ride-along flights, ground classes, field trips and aircraft construction projects. The program meets once a month and currently has 12 students.
After Kevin and his dad conceived of using the flight simulator to help sick kids, they approached Bill Donberg, head of the AEROS program and an instructor at NMC. A tip from a neighbor doctor had already honed their focus to the Infusion Clinic and Donberg went with Kevin to present the idea there. Both Querys and Donberg believe the concept would easily work in other parts of the hospital and hope to enlarge the program.
"The potential for this is enormous,” enthused Donberg. "It's good for the kids who are doing this as well as those who are receiving it.”
"Other kids in AEROS are anxious to get into it and I'd like to see it expand locally to as many situations as possible,” he added.
The Munson Infusion Clinic plans to purchase computers and the program so Kevin and other future volunteers do not have to bring their own. Funds raised in the community in honor of Katie Heintz, who died in 2005 at age 16 of leukemia, will help defray the cost. These dollars have already helped purchase books and other equipment to help entertain patients.
"Every treatment is different, it depends on which drug it is,” said Asper. "It gets boring and we want them to have fun here because you can get sick worrying about coming here.”