It’s one of the most terrifying days of your life when your child is critically unwell and needs immediate healthcare. The security and help a service like CapRescue can bring in these situations is like nothing else.
On 22 March 2024, Summer’s parents discovered quickly, and unexpectedly, just how crucial it is to have access to CapRescue when you need it most.
At about 1am that morning, Summer’s mum Teale received a phone call and told to take their daughter straight to Emerald Hospital when she became suddenly unwell. When they arrived, they were told Summer had Type 1 diabetes and would need to be airlifted to Rockhampton for urgent treatment.
“We didn’t know what was going on at first. Then they told us she was in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). It was a big shock… it was pretty critical at that point,” said Summer’s dad Stan.
“Her body was starting to shut down.”
Summer’s condition was deteriorating and every minute mattered.
By 11am that day the family was meeting the CapRescue helicopter, Rescue300 in Emerald and within minutes they were in the air enroute to Rockhampton.
“That difference between a 60-minute flight and a three-hour drive… as a father, having that immediate response is huge,” Stan said.
“It’s such a relief to know they’re there when you need them most, to get your child to hospital.”
Summer stayed in Rockhampton Hospital for a week while her condition stabilised and her family began to understand life with Type 1 diabetes.
Over time Summer has learnt to handle her condition.
“We’ve settled into a new routine,” Teale said. “She’s fit, healthy, back into gymnastics and handling it like a pro.”
In regional communities, moments like Summer’s often come without warning and a normal day can quickly become something else entirely.
Having access to rapid aeromedical care means patients are met with action, connecting them to the care they need when it matters most.
For Summer and her family, help arrived when it was needed, and the path forward could begin.
“We definitely encourage people to support CapRescue, without it a lot of people wouldn’t get the help they need. We needed it, and without it the outcome could’ve been much different,” Stan said.
| You can support CapRescue to ensure anyone who has a day like Summer and her family get the help they need when they need it: www.caprescue.org.au/donate |
