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Boardman teen with rare disease inducted as ‘pilot for day’
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First Lt. Jonathan Blackann escorts honorary Air Force Reserve 2nd Lt.t Connor Covan, 15, of Boardman through the Youngstown Air Reserve Station Wednesday. Covan is the 45th inductee into the program, which began 12 years ago.
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Lt. Col. Dale C. Andrews swore in Connor Covan, 15, of Boardman, as an honorary Air Force Reserve 2nd lieutenant and “Pilot for a Day” at the 910th Airlift Wing on Wednesday.
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Connor Covan
VIENNA
Striding through a hallway at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Connor Covan looked like any Air Force pilot — except for his long hair.
“Now you’ll have to get your hair cut,” joked Lt. Col. Dale C. Andrews.
Andrews swore in Covan, 15, of Boardman, as an honorary Air Force Reserve 2nd lieutenant in the 910th Airlift Wing and “Pilot for a Day” on Wednesday.
Covan is the 45th inductee into the program, which began 12 years ago and provides activities for children with a chronic or life-threatening disease or illness.
“It’s a little something where we can brighten up a young man’s day. We can relax and have a great time,” Andrews said.
Covan is receiving treatment for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and Brugada syndrome at Akron Children’s Hospital of the Mahoning Valley.
His mom, Cherie Covan, said her family was urged to get tested for Brugada syndrome, a rare genetic heart disease, after a family member had a sudden heart attack and died.
“My whole family has it,” said Cherie, who also has the disease and treats it using a pacemaker and defibrillator.
“It usually doesn’t affect people until later in life,” she said.
Connor’s brother and grandparents also accompanied him to the airbase and saw Connor in his airlift garb that included dog tags, patches and an ascot bearing images of the air wing’s nickname, blue tigers.
Connor, a sophomore at Boardman High School, also received a model of a C-130 plane with his name on it and an official wing commander’s coin. Tradition says if one member of the 910th sees another member and one doesn’t have the coin, then the person without the coin should buy the other a drink of his or her choice.
“I was really surprised that I was nominated,” Connor said. Nurses at Akron Children’s Hospital put his name in for consideration for the program.
Connor added that he was most looking forward to getting in the C-130 plane.
Cherie said the day meant a lot to the entire family.
“We’re really grateful that they gave him a shot to have his day,” she said. “He deals with a lot, and he handles it very well.”
The Youngstown Air Reserve Station Community Council is the financial co-sponsor of the “Pilot for a Day” program.