June 17, 2022
Four South Burnett residents who were each airlifted by RACQ LifeFlight Rescue were given another, less dramatic behind-the-scenes look at the life-saving service on Friday.
The group were present as a generous donation was handed over to the aeromedical charity.
The money was raised for the LifeFlight Foundation by about 200 attendees at a fundraiser organised by the Kingaroy Men’s Shed in April.
The Dinner Under the Stars raised $8500 for the rescue helicopter service.
The four patients who enjoyed the tour were featured in a video shown at the dinner to highlight the life-changing impact LifeFlight has had in the South Burnett.
Emma Brown said her son Louie was airlifted from Kingaroy to the Queensland Children’s Hospital when he was almost two years old after being kicked in the head by a horse.
“As soon as they despatched LifeFlight to us, we knew there would be a Critical Care Doctor on board, and there were a lot of unknowns at that stage,” she said.
“So having LifeFlight being able to get us to the hospital really quickly, we knew that once we got there we would have more information and a bigger picture of what we were dealing with.
“They really are like a lifeline for us.”
Representatives of the Kingaroy Men’s Shed, the past patients and their families made a special trip to the LifeFlight Rescue Sunshine Coast base to hand over the cheque.
Kingaroy Men’s Shed president Eric Ford said almost a year of planning and support from many sponsors went into making the fundraising event a success.
“It’s meaningful for our area, because it’s about a three-hour road trip to get help at a major hospital, and that’s where it’s important that we have these helicopters operating,” he said.
LifeFlight spokesperson Alisha Clarkson said the service relied on support from the community, including groups such as the Kingaroy Men’s Shed.
“We are very grateful for the South Burnett community giving back to us through this event. Our helicopters make a difference to so many people in that region, connecting them to higher levels of care at major hospitals,” she said.
“This was a wonderful opportunity for the past patients to get up close to the type of helicopters which airlifted them and it was clearly a very special moment for them.”
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It was such a fantastic day visiting LifeFlight Sunshine Coast with Kingaroy Men’s Shed, their wives, and the families who had previously been in need of their services. To see the smiles on everyone’s faces was heartwarming.