LifeFlight’s newest volunteer gives back to the service that saved her life

A Burnett Heads woman was mowing her lawn when she felt a pain that she knew “wasn’t normal”. Moments later she was rushed to the hospital, and later flown for an urgent operation.

Cate Green credits a quick inter-hospital transfer by the RACQ LifeFlight helicopter with saving her life.

Cate Green was mowing the lawn at her Burnett Heads home when she felt unwell.

“I just felt a pain that I knew wasn’t normal,” Ms Green said.

After calling triple-0, Queensland Ambulance Service paramedics arrived quickly and took her to Bundaberg Hospital, where she was diagnosed as undergoing a heart attack.

“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 said.

Doctors decided Ms Green needed to be flown to Sunshine Coast University Hospital, with the help of the Bundaberg RACQ LifeFlight Rescue crew.

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Once the helicopter safely landed at the Sunshine Coast hospital, Ms Green was rushed into an operating theatre where she had a stent inserted, and has since fully recovered.

Ms Green credits the quick transfer by the RACQ LifeFlight helicopter with saving her life.

“I don’t know what would have happened if they hadn’t been able to fly me to the larger hospital … I’m very grateful,” Ms Green said.

“I’m just thankful for them because I’m actually still here - and I’m still mowing the lawn.”

Ms Green was eager to repay the service for their life-saving support, and has 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.

Community fundraising implementation manager Hannah Gamston said LifeFlight “couldn’t do what we do” without volunteers like Ms Green.

“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,” Ms Gamston said.

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“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.”

A LifeFlight spokeswoman said the service has about 150 volunteers.

Anyone interested in volunteering should go to the LifeFlight website or call 1800 630 014.

“There’s really a fundraising role to suit everybody’s skill-sets, interests and availability,” Ms Gamston 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.

“Just get out of the house and do it. It’s such a worthwhile thing to do.”