Heart attack survivor Cate Green is giving back to the aeromedical service that helped save her life by becoming a LifeFlight volunteer.
The local resident was mowing the lawn in April 2021 when she suffered a sudden heart attack.
“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 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 University Hospital to receive the level of medical care and expertise she needed.
The Bundaberg 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 said.
After having a stent inserted Cate 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,” she 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 at the Bundaberg base.
“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.
With National Volunteer Week celebrated recently, LifeFlight is taking the opportunity to thank people like Cate who help make a difference every day.
“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 the Bundaberg, Sunshine Coast and Toowoomba bases.
“There’s really a fundraising role to suit everybody’s skillsets, interests and availability,” Hannah 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 call 1800 630 014.
“Just get out of the house and do it because it’s such a worthwhile thing to do,” Cate said.
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