Former flight attendant with terminal cancer lives out dying ‘last wish’ to fly again

A former flight attendant with terminal cancer has lived out her dying “last wish” of taking flight one last time.

Janet McAnnally, a 79-year-old hospice patient living in California, was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. Over time, the cancer spread to her spine, causing her to undergo several rounds of treatment.

However, McAnnally chose to stop all her treatments in recent months so that she could live her final days to the fullest.

“I just decided, you know, I don’t want to feel like that. I want to have a good time,” she told CBS affiliate KOVR-TV in a recent interview. “So when I stopped that and signed up with hospice, it really changed my outlook and my health around.

“I’ve had a lovely life,” she continued. “I made that decision to stop the treatments and the physicalness of stopping made my life so much more... able to enjoy it and do things and not just sit huddled in a chair all day.

“I know it’s going to end. I’ve accepted that. I’m not fighting against it,” McAnnally said. “It’s just something that’s happened and I’ve got to deal with it.”

McAnnally first dreamt about traveling the world when she was in fourth grade. She then lived her dream working as a flight attendant for Trans World Airlines in Chicago for seven years.

When she settled into the Calaveras County hospice center, McAnnally participated in its Last Wish Program by asking to board one final plane ride. The center then reached out to United Airlines pilot Rob Davids, asking if he could help organize a flight for McAnnally around the county.

Not only did Davids oblige, but he allowed McAnnally to help pilot the aircraft for the hour they were in the air. He even gifted her a flight log book to mark their first trip together.

Speaking to KOVR-TV, Davids said: “I just felt lucky to be part of it and give her that chance. I just appreciate every flight like it’s the last.”

While McAnnally was initially “excited” about the trip, she later became “emotional” once they had landed and she “realized what we had just done.”

“It had rained earlier and so the land just looked beautiful. All the sudden, the moon began to come up and that got me, I think I got a little emotional,” she explained. “There’s no point, even if it’s only a month or two left, to sit around and do nothing and moan and cry about it; better to cry happy tears and enjoy as much as you can.”

Meanwhile, Melissa Justice — the hospice center’s director of community relations — told KOVR-TV: “Moments like these remind us of the profound impact we can have on our patients’ lives. We are committed to ensuring that every individual can create lasting memories during their time with us.”