Advance Praise

“Like Joan, I encourage young people to pursue their dreams and consider lives of service. One Life Lost, Millions Gained inspires me and will surely inspire future generations of business and medical professionals.”

“Once in a while you come across a story of personal success that is accompanied by ambition, hard work, and a measure of good luck along the way. Certainly, One Life Lost, Millions Gained, is such a story. However, there is so much more to the journey of Joan Sullivan Garrett and her creation of MedAire. The reader will be entertained by the dynamics of the transportation industry learning how to save customer lives and how to reduce the risks of doing business internationally over land, sea, and the air. All of this from an intelligent woman who saw a need and then built a company to make this service work. This is a story that cases in entrepreneurship will be written about in our colleges and universities. Joan’s life as a wife, a mother, and a bread winner suggests that she mastered a way to warp time! Finally, a reader will be introduced to the sometimes vicious world of global competition as Joan’s MedAire becomes a dominant force in Telemedicine.”

“Joan is an absolute giant in the field of aviation. By celebrating her amazing story we can inspire others to break through boundaries, chase their dreams, and change the world for the better.”

“Joan’s journey is certainly worth reading and will inspire many. She had the courage to take a calculated leap of faith and the fortitude to persevere as a pioneer in a brand new industry. People believed in her vision and supported her quest because she exemplified transformational leadership — the ability to identify, influence, and implement.”

“Those of us in the industry who know Joan so well are thrilled that she is documenting her incredible career in aviation, in general, and her specific achievements in building MedAire into the successful world-class, global medical enterprise it is today. Joan is an entrepreneur extraordinaire who never looked back once she started on her mission of helping the medical profession save lives in the aviation world. It is a great story that needed to be told — I loved reading it.”

“Joan has written a historical and personal account of how she founded and built MedAire, which today is a subsidiary of International SOS. It’s a rare story, quite gripping, and shares lessons that can benefit entrepreneurs, senior executives, and corporate leaders today.”

“What a powerful story! We are all safer in the air, on land, and at sea because of Joan Sullivan Garrett, a pioneer in telemedicine.”

“Were it not for this book, I would have never known how beautifully Joan writes, let alone the hardships she endured in her youth that might have steered her off course. Her huge heart kept her on track to quietly achieve a global safety net that most travelers don’t know about until it saves their lives. Many thanks to this inventor and entrepreneur for doing the impossible.”

“I’m glad that Joan delved into the importance of remote medicine at sea in this book. She takes a close look at the hazards faced by crews aboard yachts and commercial vessels — a glimpse at life and death of which few are aware.”

“I watched Joan pioneer a worldwide telemedicine service and experienced firsthand her remarkable role as a medical professional and visionary. She has it all — courage, personality, and the unique ability to inspire trust and confidence. What an inspiration for women everywhere, as well as business leaders, medical professionals, and those who serve within the aviation and maritime sectors.”

“Since 1985 MedAire’s core mission has been to protect and save lives. Through MedLink, our “911 in the sky,” on-demand medical assistance became available for airline passengers and crews, business and general aviation, and luxury yachts. This book is the story of Joan Sullivan Garrett’s vision, hard work and leadership making MedAire the global provider of 24/7 medical assistance.”