The story of an ordinary miracle

The story began in 1988, when Andrew was only three years.
His father, a sergeant of the Royal Air Force, including the homes of the VCR and put the tape with "Top Gang".
Everything that happened later on the screen instantly engulfed the boy: landing on the deck, ups with afterburner, speed and, of course, the main winged hero - a fighter F-14 Tomcat.
Andrew became absolutely obsessed with jet fighters.
Unfortunately, at the same time, Andrew was diagnosed with childhood leukemia, which lasted 9 years and was accompanied by the following recurrence, a second dose of radiation, bone marrow transplantation.
For all the pain, depression, frustration, lack of understanding was one thing that helped is not extinguished the fire of life in the boy - VCR razdobyty in the hospital and the cassette with the film. He replayed the "Top Gun" over and over again, admiring the strength of fighters and trying to understand the essence of flight.
Ranked parked Miaramara "Tomcat" just grabs children's imagination ...





In late 1991, Andrew had surgery to bone marrow transplantation. He was placed in an isolated sterile room, where, during the operation, he spent all the Christmas holidays and the New Year. Complete isolation and a pile of medical procedures certainly the least inspired the 6-year-old boy on anything and were not exactly a recipe for his happiness. In one of the darkest days of his father, Andrew came to him in the hospital and asked the question that started what later became history with the memory of a lifetime. Bending down to the bed, his father's soft voice that could be heard frustration and sadness, he asked his son: "If there is anything that we can do for you, or is there something you want to tell." His head spun Andrew only one thing: "I want to go to Topgane." But at the same time he thought it was a bit unreal, please, because who knows if at all there was this Topgan. When parents are in a desperate state, and are worried about their children, they're doing everything possible.



The first question was asked about Topgane parents Andrew his uncle, who was in the position of Wing Commander RAF and served in the main headquarters of the Allied Forces in Europe (the central command of NATO). Since my uncle was in Brussels with NATO, the constant contact with the US military. He asked a couple of representatives of the US Navy on the existence Topgana and received from them all necessary information, including the contact details of the officer for public relations Topgana. When this became known, the town where the family lived Taylor walked rumor, and many friends and local celebrities gathered a large sum of money sufficient to Andrew with their parents could go across the ocean to California, in San Diego at the base of Miramar in Topgan.



By the arrival of Andrew the whole program has been prepared with a visit to places of the episodes, which was a surprise for everyone. In addition, it adds another and other activities. A week later, after a stint in San Diego got a call from the Taylor family Odin Productions, Universal studios with a question, they would not want to go to Boston, Massachusetts to meet with Tom Cruise, thus linking all the impressions of Topgane together. Obviously, they could not resist such a proposal. Andrew spent the whole day in Boston with Tom, who came with his wife, Nicole Kidman, which was an additional surprise. Cruz at the time was on the set of "Interview with the Vampire", but, nevertheless, spent a lot of time. In addition, he arranged for a meeting with Spielberg, Andrew, was filmed while "Jurassic Park."



Of course, the most important thing on the trip was the base Mirarmar. Impressions of what he saw was more than could be expected. Andrew was filled with emotion, everything around seemed improbable. "Tomcat" flaunted ranked in the parking lot of Miramar, exactly like in the movie. Sitting in the cockpit of F-14 fighter jets taking off watching the flames burn afterburner asphalt strip was the best experience in the world for 6-year-old boy. After that trip, Andrew came to Miramar two more times, including the final air show Topgan when the school moved to Miramar Air Base Fallon.



A trip to Topgan was a turning point in the life of this man, she helped him out of the hole and go to restore as quickly as possible. The statistics say that based on the established diagnosis of doctors, Andrew was not supposed to live, but he was in a handful of those guys all lying with him at the hospital, who managed to stay alive. Andrew is completely cured of leukemia. A few years ago he underwent a new 4-month course of treatment, which is completely delivered him from hepatitis C, which appeared in transplantation. Today he runs a long-term hormonal rehabilitation treatment as it applies irradiation caused a dysfunction of the glands which produce adrenaline and testosterone.



Andrew Taylor linked his life, of course, with aviation. Today he works as an engineer at Hawker Beechcraft Airlines Eagle Airways (regional subsidiary of Air New Zealand) in New Zealand. This fleet consists of 18 regional aircraft Beechcraft 1900D, which has been the hero of this story. He is very satisfied with his work and happy to talk about it, and in his spare time engaged in aircraft modeling. The trip to Topgan he calls it an event that awakened in him a desire to fight the disease for life.



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