Pilot helps boy breathe easier

  • Published
  • By Doris Johnson
  • Air Armament Center Public Affairs
If you ask Blake Henderson, a young boy from nearby Niceville, to tell you who Capt. James Dykas is he will most likely reply, “my pilot,” with a look of ownership and pride. But is was not until recently that the two met.

When Blake was born four years ago, he underwent heart surgery for congenital defects. Last year, he and his grandparents were trying to overcome Blake’s latest battle -- lung disease.

“Blake needs a lung transplant, but it’s too risky right now; we have to wait till he gets older,” said Fred Henderson, Blake’s grandfather. “As part of his treatment he takes four nebulizer treatments a day.”

The nebulizer is a device used to send medicine in the form of a fine spray directly to the lungs by breathing through the mouth or nose. The treatments became a problem when Blake would not stay still to hold the plastic applicator in his mouth.

“We got a mask to hold the mouth piece and free his hands, but with everything he’s been through, the mask was scary for him,” said Rae Garmon, Blake’s step-grandmother. “He would cry and resist every time we would give him a treatment, and he looked at the treatments as punishment.”

His grandparents talked to him about why he needed the treatments, but Blake was still opposed, scared of what the mask felt like on his face.

Losing hope, his grandparents looked for something, anything, to get Blake to accept the treatments without a struggle.

Capt. James Dykas turned out to be just what they needed. He is a B-1B Lancer pilot and flight safety officer for the 37th Bomb Squadron at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D.

Captain Dykas’s mother, Lina, works in the same office here as Mrs. Garmon and kept a picture on her desk of her son sitting in the cockpit wearing his helmet and oxygen mask.

“Around August, Rae was talking with me one day in my office. She saw the picture of James and noticed how much his oxygen mask resembled the mask Blake uses,” the captain’s mother said. “I am very proud that my son is in the Air Force and I hoped the picture of him could help Blake.”

Mrs. Garmon took the photo home, explained to Blake that “Captain James” was a real pilot and that he wore his mask to breathe better. Blake connected. In what seemed like an instant to his grandparents -- who had faced months of combat -- Blake accepted the treatments.

“Blake thrived on the fact that ‘Captain James’ was a real person and it was like he had his own personal pilot to be proud of,” Mrs. Garmon said. “Every time he had a treatment, he would get the picture and think of his pilot.”

At the time, the captain was serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom unaware of the impact he was having on the home front. He received word of Blake from his mother.

“When my mom sent me the picture of Blake with his nebulizer on, holding the picture of me (in) his lap, it was one of the most moving things I had ever seen,” Captain Dykas said. “I had no idea that any of this was going on and it was incredible to think that a simple picture could make a difference.”

Captain Dykas returned from overseas the week before Christmas and decided to add to his connection. The day after Christmas, Blake received a most welcome present, “Captain James” – as Blake calls him -- in the flesh.

“He was just in awe that Captain James was coming to visit him,” Mr. Henderson said.

“When I did meet him, I just tried to talk to him and get to know him,” the captain said. “He was shy at first, but we were playing with his toys and hitting tee-balls in no time.”

Captain Dykas showered Blake with presents, one of which was a temporary tattoo of his squadron’s insignia.

“Blake was so proud of that,” Mrs. Garmon said. “The first thing he wanted to know when it came time for Captain James to leave was when he would visit him again. He had such a wonderful time meeting his pilot.”

Now back at Ellsworth, Captain Dykas said knowing Blake adds a new dimension to his job.

“I’m learning that the things you do, no matter how small they may seem at the time, can help in more ways than you can ever consider,” Captain Dykas said.

He added that Blake has also taught him a personal lesson.

“I’m humbled that someone like Blake, who has been through more adversity in his life than I’ve ever known, admires me,” Captain Dykas said.

With a picture of hope, Blake settled into a good routine and is showing great signs of stability, according to his grandparents.

“When you look at him, he is just a regular child who loves to play and have fun,” Mrs. Garmon said. “I’ve almost forgotten how hard things were.”