Donna is one of the legends who work at our Broadmeadow Heavy Maintenance Facility.
As the Procurement & Logistics Manager for the Engineering Team, Donna is responsible for the procurement and management of Aircraft Spares, Tooling, Ground Support Equipment and other miscellaneous items across all bases!
She is an avid Base to Base participant, taking part annually to support the Rescue Helicopter!
2 years ago David, a keen cyclist, was riding on the outskirts of Scone with his cycling companions. On their return to home, David hit a cattle grid at 35km/h and was thrown into the air.
Never losing consciousness, David remembers the thud of the helmet hitting the road and the realization that he was struggling to breathe. Local NSW Ambulance Paramedics attended the scene and called in the services of the Westpac Rescue Helicopter to get David the critical care he needed.
“I knew that I was in a bad way, as I could hear the urgency in their [the Paramedics] voices as they called for the Rescue Helicopter, but they were so calming and reassuring.…. Having the Rescue Helicopter arrive relieved so much stress.”
David spent over a week in John Hunter Hospital and six weeks in a neck brace following surgery to stabilize his spine.
“We are so fortunate to have such a vital service available to us. Takeaways from my accident are if you ride a bike, wear a helmet and if you can help the Rescue Helicopter, do it.”
Four years ago, Millie contracted Influenza B. The virus attacked her heart muscle, and the reduced blood supply caused her vital organs to shut down. The Rescue Helicopter airlifted Millie to Westmead Children’s Hospital Paediatric Intensive Care Unit where she spent the next six months.
Millie and her family absoutely smashed last year's Base to Base Challenge, join them as they take part for another year!
After working with local NSW Ambulance Paramedics and the staff at Merriwa Hospital, the Paediatric Team at John Hunter Hospital advised Merriwa Hospital staff of an immediate helicopter retrieval and the Westpac Rescue Helicopter was called.
After further tests at John Hunter Hospital, Alby was diagnosed with a type of epilepsy. “It was terrifying,” recalls Nyssa. “Thankfully the Rescue Helicopter gave Alby access to medical equipment not available locally and prompt answers to what was going on.”
Alby is a sprightly young boy now and is keen to take part in this year's Base to Base Chaellenge.
In October 2018, after an overnight shift, Brandon dropped his then girlfriend, now wife, off to work. He then grabbed a bite to eat and fueled up before starting his short drive home. Just 4km from his house, Brandon fell asleep at the wheel of his ute, causing it to lose control and roll off the road.
Brandon's right arm was entirely severed during the accident. The Westpac Rescue Helicopter assisted Brandon and he is now telling his story. "I strongly believe the services that the Rescue Helicopter provides is critical to the Health Care System".
Brandon is back for his second year with the Base to Base Challenge!
In 2014, Tamara was driving home when her brakes failed and resulted in a head on collision on the Gwydir Highway. She was trapped in her vehicle with serious injuries to her arm and abdomen. The incredibly skilled paramedics on scene manipulated Tamara’s arm, allowing blood flow to continue but she was still suffering from serious internal injuries. The medical team made the decision to transport her via road ambulance to Armidale Airport to rendezvous with the Rescue Helicopter.
Tamara spent a combined 12 weeks in hospital that consisted of 8 surgeries on her abdomen, 1 surgery on her arm, 10 days in an induced coma and 4 weeks in ICU. “I knew that this service had saved my life, and I really wanted to help ensure other people were as lucky as me.”
Tamara became a passionate volunteer and advocate, sharing her story at events and speaking to the media. In 2018, a position opened up at our Tamworth Base and Tamara jumped at the chance to work with the service that saved her life. Since then, she has been a key member of the Fundraising and Marketing Team, always going above and beyond to allow the Service to help others as they had helped her.
For Trudie-Lee, her family has used the service of the Rescue Helicopter three times. Her son Jay-dee has been airlifted twice and her youngest son Cooper (pictured) most recently for an inter-hospital transfer. “All the crew and everyone involved were amazing. Words cannot express our gratitude. Special memories wouldn’t have happened and would’ve lost our boys if it weren’t for the Rescue Helicopter”.
