95-year-old care home resident fulfils dream with the ultimate high

Elizabeth (Betty) Buckland, a resident at Care UK’s Lauder Lodge, on Wakefield Avenue, took to the skies skies in Edinburg to fly a plane and had the opportunity to soar 2,000 ft above sea level. Betty often visited America on holidays during her younger years to stay with her family in Seattle, and her cousin was a pilot who owned his very own aircraft. During these summer holidays, Betty sat alongside her cousin in his Piper PA-28 Cherokee plane – he occasionally even let her take the controls. The flying session took place as part of the Wishing Tree, an initiative launched by Care UK which allows residents to suggest ideas for new hobbies they’d like to try, places they’d like to visit or even activities linked to past careers. This encourages residents to live fulfilling lives – from skiing to a fish and chip supper, no wish is too big or small. After Betty shared her happy holiday memories with the team and her dream to fly a plane once more, the team wasted no time getting the wish off the ground and soon the day came for the flight.