One of LifeFlight’s newest volunteer recruits is giving back to the aeromedical service, after she experienced first-hand the critical impact it makes for people suffering medical emergencies.
Cate Green was mowing the lawn in April 2021, when she suffered a sudden heart attack and was flown to the Sunshine Coast University Hospital.
“I just felt a pain that I knew wasn’t normal,” Cate said.
“It was out of the blue, there was no reason for me to have a heart attack, I had never thought of it in my life,” she said.
She called triple zero and Queensland Ambulance Service paramedics quickly arrived, to give her initial treatment and transport her to Bundaberg Hospital.
However, doctors soon decided that she would have to be flown to the Sunshine Coast to receive the level of medical care and expertise she needed.
The RACQ LifeFlight Rescue crew jumped into action and quickly performed the inter-hospital transfer.
“I don’t know what would have happened if they hadn’t been able to fly me to the larger hospital, so yes, I’m very grateful.”
Cate was able to have a stent inserted and has since fully recovered.
“I’m just thankful for them because I’m actually still here – and I’m still mowing the lawn. In fact, I was mowing just minutes ago,” Cate said.
Eager to give back to the service and help ensure more people in need can receive the same critical care she did, Cate recently signed on as a LifeFlight volunteer.
“I just get in there and mix with the staff – they’re terrific people – and help make the community more aware of the service,” she said.
LifeFlight is taking National Volunteer Week, from May 15 to 21, as an opportunity to thank its hard-working volunteers such as Cate.
“Because RACQ LifeFlight Rescue partly relies on community support and donations, it takes a lot of people power to raise these funds and spread awareness,” LifeFlight’s community fundraising implementation manager Hannah Gamston said.
“This is where our incredible volunteers come in – whether it’s helping us run major fundraisers such as our gala balls, guest speaking on behalf of LifeFlight, operating stalls at community events, collecting donation tins or a wide range of other support activities.
“We couldn’t do what we do without them.”
LifeFlight is looking for more volunteers to join the ranks at its Sunshine Coast base, as well as in Bundaberg and Toowoomba.
“There’s really a fundraising role to suit everybody’s skillsets, interests and availability,” Ms Gamston said.
“We can’t all be doctors or pilots in the helicopters, but it takes a village to operate this service and every role is crucial.”
Anyone interested in volunteering should go to the LifeFlight website or phone 1800 630 014.
“Just get out of the house and do it. It’s such a worthwhile thing to do,” Cate said.
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