From a floatplane mid-flight above Yellowknife, US highschool student Skyler Mandigo-Stoba never felt safer in the air than with Buffalo Airways pilot Joe McBryan.

Diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in October, she applied to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which aims to grant the wishes of sick youth and children. There were three options of people to meet: Nobel Prize winning chemist Frances Arnold, Michelle Obama, or Beyonce.

Considering those choices might be busy, Mandigo-Stoba settled on another choice: Buffalo Airways. She grew up watching the reality show Ice Pilots and fell in love with the airway's appearances, studying the planes, calculating the equations behind their flights, and presenting the results in science projects.

SA国际影视传媒淚 donSA国际影视传媒檛 like flying that much,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淏ut, I love planes.SA国际影视传媒�

Shortly after she made her pick, the Make-A-Wish Foundation presented Mandigo-Stoba a video: it was Arnold who told her she was headed to Yellowknife to visit Buffalo Airways. After arriving at the Buffalo hangar in Yellowknife, Mandigo-Stoba hopped in her favourite aircraft, a twin propeller plane called a DC3, and toured the skies with Buffalo's infamous pilot, "Buffalo" Joe McBryan.

For Mandigo-Stoba, it didnSA国际影视传媒檛 feel real to see the planes she had watched and loved for years. It was like a SA国际影视传媒渞eally long dream,SA国际影视传媒� she said.  SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 just been so much better than I thought would have been. Plus, everyone was far nicer than they were portrayed in Ice Pilots."

Arriving this past Saturday and leaving Wednesday afternoon, the trip was almost a year after her initial diagnosis.  Her father Ian Stoba feels her trip to Yellowknife was an important step in her recovery.

SA国际影视传媒淪he came to a frontier, another edge," he said. "This is the farthest North that any of us had ever been. I think that was good for her, to find another edge to push.SA国际影视传媒�

Skyler's journey all began after an unexplained lump stuck to her neck for months, and was consequently diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma last October.

In an interview, Ian remembered doctors injecting Skyler with radioactive sugar to identify the problem areas on her body.

SA国际影视传媒淭umors are growing like crazy,SA国际影视传媒� he recalled. SA国际影视传媒淭heySA国际影视传媒檙e much more active than any cell in your body.SA国际影视传媒�

The original scan that October revealed black lumps all over her neck and chest. In February, half-way through her chemotherapy, there were fewer, but still present. The doctor showed the final scan on her office computer.

SA国际影视传媒淲e all started crying because there was nothing,SA国际影视传媒� Ian said. SA国际影视传媒淎nd the doctor was crying, we were crying.SA国际影视传媒�

Skyler was already hoping for that result. During treatment, healthcare professionals told her she would be fine, while there may be more work. The results were a relief nonetheless.

Skyler was homeschooled for that period, where she SA国际影视传媒渟omehow got ahead.SA国际影视传媒� When she returned to school, she was two years ahead in math.

SA国际影视传媒淚t was definitely harder because I had gone from just the expectation of living is enough to SA国际影视传媒榥ow you have to go to school,SA国际影视传媒橲A国际影视传媒� she said.

For Ian, the transition back to normalcy had its own challenges.

SA国际影视传媒淎s a parent, when you find out your child is very seriously ill, itSA国际影视传媒檚 a shock. But thereSA国际影视传媒檚 a lot of support and a lot of structure,SA国际影视传媒� he said, explaining his job at the time had created a large logistical element to attending appointments, making school arrangements and keeping things on track.

SA国际影视传媒淭hereSA国际影视传媒檚 less support for the transition out,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚t can be a little unsettling.SA国际影视传媒�

Going back to work after that period was positive he said, but not like flipping a switch. When Skyler was receiving her treatment, the family said it was like being in SA国际影视传媒渆mergency modeSA国际影视传媒� with careful monitoring and quick responses to updates SA国际影视传媒� even a bloody nose.

SA国际影视传媒淵ou donSA国际影视传媒檛 have the opportunity to process what youSA国际影视传媒檝e been through,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

Skyler was thrown off, but she said she thought a lot about  SA国际影视传媒渨hat (she) could really do now.SA国际影视传媒�

She said it was clarifying, and that she focused more energy on the things she enjoyed, and less on the ones she didnSA国际影视传媒檛 care for.

SA国际影视传媒淚 figured out I do not like small talk, so I donSA国际影视传媒檛 small talk anymore,SA国际影视传媒� she said.

It was natural to leave certain people or activities behind, as she headed into chapter of her life SA国际影视传媒� which may include using her passion for science to make planes and airlines more energy efficient using renewable energy.

SA国际影视传媒淣o oneSA国际影视传媒檚 fine after almost dying,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淏ut I think was doing pretty well.SA国际影视传媒�