Giving birth to a child several weeks or months premature is scary and full of uncertainty for any parent, but to have a premature baby in a rural area where the only medical care is volunteer fire firefighters or a small town doctor and that nightmare can turn into a disaster.

However, several people in the NICU at St Vincent Healthcare double as members of the help flight team. "It's a new challenge and a new step from your everyday job," said Help Flight member Angela Gardner. "Sometimes it can be the most stressful thing that has ever happened in their lives. Nobody expects to have a premature baby or a sick baby; this is supposed to be a happy time," said Help Flight Nurse Tammy Aksamit.

The crew uses this 250 pound piece of equipment as the lifeline, without it things could take a quick turn for the worse. "This is an intensive care nursery on a cot. If the baby needs help breathing there's a little ventilator right here, this is what helps heat the baby right here, and then this is the monitor as far as heart monitor, respirator, and pulse oximeter, so how much oxygen is in the blood," said Flight Team Nurse Becky Frogge.

"My favorite thing is when you're walking down the street and 3, 4, 5 years later you run into a family you helped take care of and they recognize you and you see this child that you helped get through a very difficult time," said Aksamit.

The crew is humble about the missions they go on, but the hundreds of families they help are thankful the flight crew is acting as their personal guardian angels.