A group of caring paramedics helped a dying patient fulfil her last wish by taking her to see the sea.
The palliative care patient’s dying wish was to visit the beach again and take a long, last look at the wondrous and calming water.
Wanting to help, a group of ambulance workers took the woman in her hospital bed and carried her to Hervey Bay, a coastal city in Queensland.
Queensland Ambulance Service posted a photo of paramedic Graeme Cooper stood next to the woman in her bed as they looked out to the water.
Helen Donaldson, the officer in charge of the Hervey Bay area, wrote:
A crew were transporting a patient to the palliative care unit of the local hospital and the patient expressed that she just wished she could be at the beach again.
Above and beyond, the crew took a small diversion to the awesome beach at Hervey Bay to give the patient this opportunity – tears were shed and the patient felt very happy.
Sometimes it is not the drugs/training/skills – sometimes all you need is empathy to make a difference!
Great work Hervey Bay team, Danielle and Graeme – the service is very proud of you.
What a remarkable story!
Only uploaded 11 hours ago, the post has gathered a lot of attention receiving 37,000 likes and 11,300 shares so far.
Speaking to The Daily Mail Australia, Michael Augustus, the spokesman for the Queensland Ambulance Service, said he was ‘blown away by the response’.
He added:
It’s so lovely that a really simple act of kindness, something that the paramedics just did, made this lady’s day.
It cost them nothing but five minutes of their time.
These paramedics certainly deserve some recognition, but we’ve just been gobsmacked by the support.
Danielle Kellan was the paramedic who captured the moving image that has gone viral.
She along with Graeme was taking the patient on her ‘last journey back to palliative care where she was going to pass away’.
Graeme told News.com.au:
We popped her up on the hill where she could see the pier and Fraser Island and right through to Point Burrum and she was ecstatic with it all.
I thought if all these rocks weren’t here I’d get down into my jocks and take you into the ocean – and I would have.
However I thought the next best thing was I can get some ocean and bring it to her.
She actually tasted the salt water.
In special cases where end of life stuff is going on, the contact we have is our last contact, (we want to) feel good about humans and people and the way they’re treated and managed so they get a good feeling.
It’s always someone else’s father, mother, brother. If I lose my compassion I just won’t be in the job.
We’re very fortunate we’re in the role we do, if you’re sensitive to your surroundings, when a window of opportunity opens up, take it.
These paramedics went out of their way to make sure this woman’s dying wish was fulfilled, which is quite special.
Danielle added:
I said to the patient (as she looked out at Fraser Island): ‘What are you thinking?’
And she said: ‘I’m at peace, everything is right’.
Just heartbreaking.
