Sixteen-year-old Nick Coleman first became interested in flying about five years ago. Like so many others who’ve fallen in love with aviation, Coleman says the thing that draws him is the feeling of freedom he experiences while up in the air. But unlike many others, Coleman has had to overcome a number of health challenges to pursue his passion for flight. He suffers from high functioning autism, tourettes and mitochondrial disease, and uses a wheelchair to get around at school.
Despite those obstacles, Coleman has been able to realize his dream of flight thanks to an aviation organization known as Above the Clouds. The nonprofit provides airplane rides to seriously ill and underprivileged kids in order to “bring joy through the wonder of flight,” as its tagline says.
