Chicago restaurant owner Eduard Seitan was living the American dream. He came to America from Romania when he was 19. He didn’t speak a word of English. He got a job as a food runner at an Italian restaurant, worked his way up to server, and eventually became a partner at a Hospitality company and helped open 10 restaurants in Chicago.
Then the pandemic hit and the restaurant business took a big hit. Eduard had to furlough employees and shut down some of his restaurants.
Luckily, Eduard found an unusual way to cope with the challenges. He owns an old military airplane and he’s been using it to volunteer for the nonprofit Pilots N Paws - a network of volunteer pilots who fly dogs and cats at risk of being euthanized to no-kill rescue organizations and foster families across the United States. Eduard has personally flown over 40 pets to safety.
“Flying is my really happy place. Since the pandemic started, because of the extra time I had on my hands, I have been flying a lot more than usual. But now, I only fly with a purpose”
Photo: Getty Images