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“I was reminded that I only have one good lung,” said Brett Santangelo after his tandem skydive at Laurel Airport’s Skydive Delmarva April 10. Except for the struggle to get his breath, Delaware Hospice patient Santangelo, 42, of Millsboro, was thrilled with the accomplishment that made him a celebrity in the hospice world.
While hospices strive to educate the public that hospice care is all about living a quality life, having control and making personal choices, Santangelo demonstrated those messages with one giant step from a plane at 14,000 feet. He loved skydiving, wanted to do it again, and Delaware Hospice supported him all the way.
An experienced skydiver himself, Delaware Hospice nurse Todd Karrick noticed a photo of Santangelo skydiving, and they began talking about their mutual interest. Santangelo told Karrick he had always wanted to jump again, to which Karrick replied, “Why not?” Delaware Hospice staff members have a reputation for going the extra mile to meet patients’ wishes, and three months later, it was all arranged with the help of Skydive Delmarva.
The morning before the big event, an emotional Santangelo reflected on what he’d been through. Diagnosed with HIV in 1982, he has survived hepatitis C, several bouts of meningitis, a weeklong coma and the removal of his gall bladder, appendix and spleen. “I’ve fought a lot of battles,” he said, “but the diagnosis of lymphoma in May of 2007 hit me hard.”
After a few months of more doctors, blood tests and complications, Santangelo felt he’d had enough of hospitals and treatments. “A gentle woman who was helping me with my breathing treatment told me that her husband had just been under the care of Delaware Hospice and was able to spend his time in the comfort and peace of home. I decided that would be the best thing for me as well,” he said.
“Delaware Hospice folks came in and they’ve helped me with everything and anything. There’s never a problem getting medications, and the symptom medications help me to continue doing more or less what I want to - pain free,” said Santangelo.
And what Santangelo usually wants to do is something that benefits others. For example, he visits schools and youth organizations as a messenger for safe sex. His mother, Lois Santangelo, said, “When he sits down in front of those kids and asks them to imagine their first date being their last date and tells them his personal story - from being diagnosed as HIV positive when he was 18 until now - you can hear a pin drop in the room. He’s given a lot of kids something to think about.”
He also wanted to skydive, and the weather on the planned day turned out to be perfect. The small airport in Laurel was a busy place as family, friends and Delaware Hospice staff members gathered for the exciting event. An hour of preparations, instructions and suiting up, and Brett was on the plane heading for 14,000 feet.
On board, the noise of the twin engines forced an energy-charged silence among the accompanying skydivers, including another couple who would perform a tandem dive, a videographer and two solo skydivers - one of whom was also a representative of Delaware Hospice. Brett relaxed and replenished his oxygen supply, inhaling from a portable tank.
At last, the pilot signaled that they had reached their altitude. The door opened, they counted down, and one by one and two by two they took off.
“The first sensation when you leave the plane is that you want to reach for something to hold on to, but then you realize there’s nothing,” said Santangelo. “The air took my breath away at first, but the camera man maneuvered over to us, smiling, and reached out to me to slap hands. Then I just relaxed and enjoyed the beauty. Our landing was pretty hard because my legs didn’t cooperate, by my tandem partner handled it incredibly well. I could hear everyone cheering and it made me feel great.
“I’m so grateful to Delaware Hospice people for making this possible and for all that they do,” said Santangelo. “I’m a strong person inside, and I just need help outside. They give me the help I need. I used to go out to speak about HIV/AIDS, but now I have to give my Delaware Hospice message as well. They’ve just been wonderful.”
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