An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | Nov. 4, 2010

Hawaii tankers host 11-year-old pilot for a day

By Staff Sgt. Carolyn Viss, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii, - When an 11-year old becomes a pilot, it's a headline maker. When an 11-year old survives potentially-terminal brain cancer, it's a headline maker.

And the heroes who made both of those things possible for 11-year-old Ryder Lum were the doctors and staff of Kapiolani Women's and Children's Hospital and the men and women of the 535th Airlift Squadron at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.

Ever since Ryder was unexpectedly diagnosed with diabetes insipidus in March 2007, his parents, Richelle and David, and his best friend since preschool, Everett Fan, were by his side, helping him through.

After multiple surgeries to remove a massive tumor, followed by chemotherapy and radiation, Ryder's accomplished what they thought might be impossible: he earned a clean bill of health. Then, the four of them were able to visit JBPHH together and see him do something else that wouldn't otherwise be possible: fly a C-17.

Ryder got to fly Hickam's C-17 simulator as part of the 535th AS Pilot for a Day program Oct. 29, 2010. His day-long agenda also included tours of the military working dog kennels here, a personal tour of a static Hawaii Air National Guard KC-135, and the opportunity to talk to the pilots and crew members.

"I wasn't expecting this place to be like this," Ryder said when the day was over. "I knew it would be cool but I didn't realize they were going 'all out' like this!"

Each stop they made showed Ryder, who is an only child, more and more about the men and women of the U.S. Air Force in Hawaii who care enough about kids like him to take the time every three months to invite a child to join them for a day.

He became an honorary member of both the 535th AS and the 96th Air Refueling Squadron. They gave him his own flight suit, unit patches, challenge coins to add to his growing collection, tee shirts, and other mementos that will always remind him that his life is valued and celebrated.

"Doing this is allows us to singularly focus on an individual and show how much we value their courage in fighting whatever condition it is they're battling," said Lt. Col. Brian Hill, 96th ARS commander. "We want to let that person know that, despite whatever ailment or disease they're fighting, they're not alone.

"They've got people in their corner who want to encourage them, and they have a network of support that's bigger than they could ever imagine."

Fortunately, even though Ryder's entire pituitary gland is gone, he is still able to produce some of his own hormones.

But, "He has to take pills and give himself shots every day for the rest of his life," said his father, David, in a lunchtime conversation with First Lieutenants Christopher Nini and Eric Ziessler, 535th AS pilots who arranged the agenda and escorted the family around just a couple of days before they both deployed.

A shunt was surgically placed into Ryder's skull to drain the fluid caused by what he jokingly refers to as his "Type 3" diabetes. This delicate implant limits the amount of sports and other high-risk activities Ryder can do. Although he played every sport before his diagnosis and now he has to take it easy, he and his family are just thankful for his life.

"This experience has put everything into perspective," his mother, Richelle, said. "What was important back then isn't as important now. We try not to take anything for granted, and make the most of and appreciate everything we do have."

Simply being in the community is reason enough for Hawaii's Airmen to support the Pilot for a Day program, Hill said.

"Especially in ... such a fantastic community, any opportunity we have to get engaged and show what it is we do in their service is a positive," Hill said. "A lot of people might look at the gates and wonder what's going on. This gives them a chance to get a peek at what their tax dollars are being used for and the kind of people who are serving."

"It's very important for us to be able to spread what we do and how we do it, and our ability to tell it to someone who has been through so much is very gratifying," said Royer, the 96th ARS boom operator who answered all Ryder's "non-standard, grownup questions" about the tanker. "It was a very special day."

 

 

Related Articles
A U.S. Air Force Airman assigned to the 146th Airlift Wing marshals a C-130H Hercules at the Combat Readiness and Training Center, Gulfport, Mississippi, Feb. 5, 2025. Exercise Sentry South-Southern Strike is a joint military training focusing on contingency response operations, agile combat employment, aeromedical evacuation, maritime training, specialized fueling operations and strategic airlift and airdrops.
Air Guard Conducts Sentry South-Southern Strike Exercise
By Senior Airman Shardae McAfee, | Feb. 7, 2025
GULFPORT, Miss. – Approximately 500 service members from the Active, Guard and Reserve components of the U.S. military participated in exercise Sentry South-Southern Strike 2025 at the Gulfport Combat Readiness Training...

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Jack A. James Jr., right, the commander of the New York National Guard’s 42nd Infantry Division, speaks with Swedish Army soldiers during the division’s Warfighter 25-3 exercise at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa., Jan. 31, 2025. The Swedish soldiers’ participation with the New York Army National Guardsmen during Warfighter Exercise 25-3 marks their second visit with the 42nd Infantry Division and their first experience working with the United States in a division-level warfighter exercise.
Swedish Soldiers Train with 42nd Infantry Division Partners
By Sgt. Grace Nechanicky, | Feb. 7, 2025
FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – Four Swedish army service members spent time with the 42nd Infantry Division learning about large-scale combat operations during a warfighting exercise from Jan. 24 to Feb. 8.The Swedish soldiers’...

Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth Day retrieves simulated blood supplies delivered by a blueflite drone while Sgt. Benjamin Keikkala provides security during a field training exercise at Camp Rilea, Oregon, Jan. 30, 2025. The innovative drone delivery system demonstrated rapid resupply capabilities for combat medics in tactical environments.
Oregon Guard Combat Medics Test Drone Delivery of Supplies
By Maj. Wayne Clyne, | Feb. 6, 2025
WARRENTON, Ore. - Combat medics with the Oregon National Guard are adapting their battlefield medicine skills for large-scale combat operations through innovative training, including drone-delivered medical supplies at Camp...