The thunderous engines might have suppressed the “oohs” and “awes,” but the wide eyes and smiles on the faces of the collected crowd showed unmistakable joy as the renowned Blue Angels military jets ripped through the sunny sky above Valley Children’s Hospital on Wednesday afternoon.
Five jets roared in a “V” formation as dozens of onlookers, many of them not affiliated with Valley Children’s but just wanting to get a gaze at the spectacle, cheered, waved American flags and took pictures and videos with their phones. Patients, parents and employees gathered at the front and back of the Hospital, and those who could not make it outdoors looked on from windows at the back of the building.
The event was provided by Cmdr. Ryan Bernacchi, who was appointed commanding officer of the Blue Angels for the 2016-17 show seasons. Bernacchi, inspired by the care given to his daughter at Valley Children’s while he was an executive officer based at Naval Air Station Lemoore, conducted a flyover of Strike Fighter Squadron 192 and had about a dozen of its members visit the Hospital’s Craycroft inpatient unit in 2012.
“This means a ton for Valley Children’s Healthcare, on so many levels,” President and CEO Todd Suntrapak said minutes before the jets soared about 1,000 feet overhead. “Cmdr. Bernacchi is a grateful parent. We’ve taken care of his family, and this is his token of appreciation and the appreciation of the other pilots.”
Appreciation from the viewing public was obvious as well.
“One of the nurses told me it was happening today, and I had never seen anything like this,” Valley Children’s patient Jordan Sandoval, 16, said. “I got a video. It was awesome.”
Jordan’s father, Rick Sandoval, had always wanted to take his son to the Fresno International Airport to watch planes and jets land. So when he heard about the Blue Angels flying over Valley Children’s, he took the opportunity to watch with Jordan on the back lawn near the playground.
“I was at home when I heard,” Sandoval said. “I figured I’d get up and see it with him. Very cool for us.”
Dr. Robert Kezirian, a pediatric emergency medicine physician at Valley Children’s who treated Bernacchi’s daughter, was also instrumental in organizing the Blue Angels appearance along with the 2012 visit and flyover.
And just like with the 2012 flyover, which helped celebrate Valley Children’s 60th anniversary, kids of varying ages walked away excited Wednesday, eyes glued to phone screens to watch replays of what had just captured their attention in real time.
“These are the finest pilots in the world. It just means a ton to us to be able to come out and see them, and for our kids experience this,” Suntrapak said. “It’s once in a lifetime for them, and at the same time we can celebrate the Blue Angels and their role in protecting all of our futures.”