In October 2011, my father went in for what was supposed to be routine gallbladder surgery. Instead, doctors discovered an inoperable pancreatic tumor and gave him seven months to live.
At the time, I was living in Santa Monica while he was in Michigan. Determined to spend as much time with him as possible, I began flying back and forth every month. Those trips—long hours alone in the air—became time for reflection, gratitude, and difficult conversations I’ll always cherish.
One afternoon, after returning from a visit, a question surfaced: What about families who can’t afford those trips? How many people were missing final moments with loved ones simply because travel was out of reach?
I shared the idea online, and the response was immediate. It was clear there was a real need to be met.
That became the beginning of The Extra Mile.
The organization collected unused frequent flyer miles and financial donations and converted them into travel for people needing to visit terminally ill loved ones. We helped remove one of life’s hardest barriers: distance.
I founded and ran The Extra Mile in honor of my father, whose initials are part of its name. What began as grief-driven reflection became a mission to give others what I was fortunate enough to have—time.
After more than a decade of service, The Extra Mile has now concluded its work. While the organization is no longer active, its purpose—and the people it helped—remain a defining part of my life and values.
My Story