Advocate at Altitude makes flying easier for other

Advocate at Altitude makes flying easier for others

A Canterbury man with respiratory problems is being presented with a special award by the Asthma Foundation because he was instrumental in working with Air New Zealand to enable customers to carry Portable Oxygen Concentrators (POCs) onboard domestic 737 jets.

‘Graham Shaw’s efforts will make a big difference for New Zealanders who need Long Term Oxygen Therapy [LTOT]. It will now be so much easier for them to fly to see family and friends in Aotearoa,’ says the Chief Executive of the Asthma Foundation, Jane Patterson.

Air New Zealand has for many years had its own POCs for customers’ use on trans-Tasman, Pacific Island and long haul international flights. Technical issues including the large size of earlier POC types meant they were too bulky to carry on domestic services so customers requiring supplementary oxygen had to use a portable oxygen tank.

‘A number of people had been told by Air New Zealand that they had POCs available for use on international flights, but that POCs could not be carried on domestic jet services,’ says Graham.

‘We were in the process of re-evaluating the policy and instigating the technical changes as POCs are now so much lighter and smaller and with Graham’s assistance we were able to make the change quickly in November last year,” says Air New Zealand Chief Medical Officer Tim Sprott.

The POCs convert the air around us into oxygen for people who need it due to a respiratory illness or similar.

In recent years Graham’s struggle to do what most of us take for granted –– breathe – has become more intense. Graham started having to have oxygen, including at altitude, but his experiences in trying to get on-board oxygen led him to take action. Anyone who requires on-board oxygen must still obtain medical clearance and permission for every flight. Very few airlines have their own POCs for use on international services, with only some now allowing POCs to be carried on domestic services, according to Air New Zealand. Graham, 61, has kyphoscoliosis,
which is a spine condition that in his case restricts his lung function. He says that Air New Zealand couldn’t have treated him better and he is extremely grateful.

Originally from England, Graham is an inspiration to other people with respiratory conditions in a number of ways. He has promoted the benefits of exercise and took up bowling once he could no longer play golf. He won two silver medals in bowling at the Paralympics New Zealand National Championships in November last year and several cups at his local club which provided, he says, an enormous motivation to himself and others in similar situations.

Graham is the only person to receive an Asthma Foundation Advocacy Award for an achievement in 2009.

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