He Went the Extra 10,000 Miles...

Qantas Airways senior customer relations officer, Jim Bliku, an 11-year veteran of the airline, was recently honored with the President's Award by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia.

Bliku went above and beyond the call of duty to help 10-year old Stanley Sclavos and his family when they were in New York for the boy's medical treatment for leukemia. Deeply moved by this Australian family's plight to finance their son's treatment, Bliku founded Operation Oz Kids USA, an organization to provide financial assistance to families whose children required costly treatment in the U.S. He and his airline colleagues raised over $20,000 for travel assistance for patients and families.

Despite the second transplant treatment in New York, Stanley's condition deteriorated and, sadly, he passed away. Bliku helped the family in a time of hope and then again in a time of grief, as he personally escorted the family to Australia on Stanley's final flight home. Bliku's spirit of unselfish generosity is a shining example for everyone and the airline is proud that Bliku is part of the Qantas family. [Bliku (L) and Kos Sclavos, Stanley's father, flank Bliku's daughter in the photo.]

FMI: www.qantas.com