Danny Abalama
Danny Abalama is a gifted pilot with a talent for flying in difficult and remote areas throughout his home state of Alaska. As someone who grew up in a village himself, Danny is committed to providing the best care possible to hard-to-reach areas.
In one instance, Danny landed an aircraft in the middle of the night in a small rural region with only the community’s off-road vehicle lights to illuminate the runway. In another occurrence, Danny “hand-flew” an aircraft on a flight from Kotzebue to Kobuk, just above the Arctic Circle, when the aircraft’s autopilot malfunctioned. Despite the demands of that flight, Danny was described as “cool as a cucumber.” He never flinched or faltered.
Danny is always willing to help other pilots on his base. He supports his colleagues so they can be ready in the event they must serve as single pilots without a full instrument panel.
Humble, kind, soft-spoken, and funny, Danny Abalama is a true leader.
Jason Dau
Jason Dau is being honored as a Star of Life for his continual pursuit of excellence and compassion in his service to his community. He loves his community so much that he has dedicated his life to serving it.
Kotzebue, the Alaskan city where Jason was born and raised, is a small northwest arctic borough community that is part of the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium. The primary health care facility in the area is the Maniilaq Health Center, although the airbase that Jason is assigned to ensures that those in the outlying villages have access not only to the resources offered by Maniilaq but also to the advanced levels of care found in Anchorage at Alaska Native Medical Center. Jason’s work as a Flight Nurse is vital, as he ensures that the people of his community can receive specialized treatment should they require it. Without Jason and his fellow Guardian Flight crew, the critical cases in his secluded region would not have easy access to care.
Jason’s heart for service and care for his team are demonstrated in his extraordinary work ethic. His deep commitment to patient care is rooted and fueled by his inborn love for his own borough community—the only place he has ever called home.
Forrest Fikes
Forrest Fikes was selected to represent as one of three Stars of Life for LifeNet. His peers selected him for his professionalism and the example of what LifeNet strives to represent. One of the comments written about him stated, “Forrest is a good example for all, he is always kind, professional and represents LifeNet well.” Forrest began is LifeNet career in 2008. He and his wife Missy reside in Hot Springs, AR with their 2-year old son, Jet.”