Everyday Australians honoured for acts of courage and service at Pride of Australia Awards
Four plucky schoolboys were among nine ordinary Australians recognised for acts of courage and service at the 14th Pride of Australia Award Ceremony. READ THEIR STORIES.
If it wasn’t for the swift action of four plucky schoolboys, toddler Adam Al Kayal would not be alive today.
The courageous friends — Zac Brown, 13, Jaime Privett, 13, and brothers Ben and Patrick Whitehouse, aged 13 and 11, who rescued the unconscious child from a pool at a holiday caravan park and revived him, were hailed “walking advertisements” for teaching CPR in schools at the 14th Pride of Australia Award Ceremony today.
The boys spotted four-year-old Adam fully clothed, eyes wide open at a pool in Umina on the Central Coast and fished him out.
MORE NEWS
Fortnite streamer: ‘It won’t happen again’
Fiancee stands by Walker, rejects assault claim
Gattellari guilty of $50m Medich extortion plot
They began checking Adam’s pulse and Zac started compressing his chest.
Receiving a Pride of Australia medal at the News Corp offices today, Zac broke down as he recalled the harrowing moment they revived him.
“I checked his pulse, I remembered what my teacher said, to perform CPR to the rhythm of the Bee Gees’ Stayin’ Alive, and a scene from Bondi Rescue,” said Zac.
“He was trying to vomit, and we had to open his mouth.
“Ben called for help and luckily Adam survived the ordeal.
“It was terrifying, we thought the boy was joking, but then I saw his eyes were open and he wasn’t moving,” he said haltingly, tears rolling down his cheek.
Zac and Jaime are currently undergoing counselling for trauma three months after the ordeal.
“It’s hit the boys really hard,” said Jaime’s mother Kathy after the awards ceremony, now in its 14th year.
Sunday Telegraph editor Mick Carroll said the boys’ incredible bravery — and so many others — typified those whose deeds were recognised at the awards, organised by News Corp Australia in conjunction with Seven News and sponsored by Australia Post.
He said the paper has been campaigning for the lifesaving CPR technique to be compulsorily taught at all schools.
“The four young boys are walking advertisements for why everyone should learn CPR as soon as possible,” Mr Carroll said.
There were nine Pride of Australia medals bestowed to ordinary Australians thrust by fate into life and death situations, including police officers, volunteer fire fighters, children who have displayed courage beyond their years, those who have raised untold thousands for charity and selfless individuals who have spent their lives in the service of others and the protection of animals.
News Corp NSW managing director Michael Wilkins said the campaign shone a light on brave and selfless individuals who were the “heart and soul” of communities.
“There are so many inspiring people who walk among us each day,” he said, adding, “What sets them apart is their selfless contributions, whether it be a moment of decision, sometimes at peril to themselves, to help people in distress or danger.
“A lifetime of giving to others, justice, or serving the memory of loved ones lost, with a commitment and passion for change.”
Another heart wrenching moment came as parents Ryan and Karen Fowler told of their anguish after losing their baby, Rio, 17 months, at the start of this year.
Their courageous work raising money for better palliative care for children earned them a Pride of Australia gong.
MORE: Dad raising money in memory of son
“We went to hospital with gastro and he never came out, dying just weeks later due to a disorder of his arteries system that was undiagnosed,” said Karen fighting back tears.
“He looked fine, we had no idea. I was in hospital, thinking, am I dreaming?”
Ryan, a teacher, ran 1013km from Melbourne to Sydney to raise funds to build more palliative care facilities for children at centres like Bear Cottage at Manly.
There are only three children’s hospices in Australia.
“We thought, out of the tragedy of losing our boy, how can we give back?” Mr Fowler said collecting his medal.
“There’s a critical need for other parents of sick children to have that opportunity,” Mrs Fowler said.
“We can’t let paediatric palliative care be something we sweep under the rug.
“Kids dying is not an easy thing, I’m very proud of my husband for saying, let’s make a charity and let’s make his life benefit others.”
Channel 7 News presenter Mark Ferguson, who presented the award, said from that tragedy came “a wonderful response”.
“As a father myself, if I went through what Ryan and Karen went through, I might have curled up in a ball in my room, not able to leave the house,” he said.
“What they did in response was to fight back in Rio’s memory, to go out into the community and try their very best to raise as much money as possible to build more hospices.”
Big thinker Preethika Mathan, 12, captured the imagination of Pride of Australia judges with her impassioned essay on technology and tomorrow.
The Lidcombe schoolgirl is fiercely protective of her younger brother Ashan, who is non-verbal and on the autistic spectrum.
Her inspiring essay talked about technology having the potential to liberate the lives of people with disabilities. It netted her the University of NSW’s Bragg Student Prize for Science Writing 2018.
Collecting her Pride Of Australia medal, she said: “My mind went to an ideal tomorrow, for my brother, of how perhaps virtual technology can be adapted to show disabled people access routes to locations.
“My brother and I have an amazing relationship, we jump on the trampoline together, I read my book reports to him … and he gets me over my stage fright.
“We don’t really fight but we have differences — he’s into his Thomas the Tank Engine, I prefer Minecraft.”
Daily Telegraph editor Ben English said the judges were taken aback at the girl’s love for her brother and academic achievements.
“She’s a very impressive young lady,” he said. “I was absolutely blown away by the way she carries herself and articulates herself.”
Other winners included dog lover Debbie Organ honoured for rescuing the dog of Sydney CBD homeless man John, sparking the beginning of a deep friendship that would ultimately save his life.
The finance company director found his fox terrier Carrie after she disappeared when he was beaten in the street.
Mrs Organ became the John’s legal guardian and helped find a bed in a nursing home near her home in Frenchs Forest on the Northern Beaches.
She now visits him three times a week with Carrie who she looks after at home.
“I’d see John on my way to work at Pitt Street Mall each day but when I read on line he had lost his dog, it drew me to him because I’m a big animal lover, — now he’s become family,” said Ms Organ clutching her medal.
“It was hard for us to pass up Debbie for a Pride of Australia Award,” said Daily Telegraph editor Ben English, adding, “Debbie was a truly, humble kind and generous individual.”
“This is a trademark of so many recipients of this award,” Mr English said.
“This quiet crusader has displayed a level of humanity that many of us can only dream of.”
Also collecting an award was dentist Mohit Tolani from Wollongong for his tireless work with indigenous Australians and refugees in remote areas.
He taught himself to drive a van he kitted out as a dental surgery and spearheaded an oral health literacy campaign plugging gaps in sexual healthcare and dentistry, particularly among patient with HIV.
Presenting the Australia Post Community medal to the Dapto dentist, Christine Walker from Australia Post said he was a “selfless” role model to young professionals.
How much rate cuts will save you this year: every suburb
The Reserve Bank is expected to soon announce an interest-rate cut, with new modelling revealing the varying impact it will have on household budgets across each suburb.
Man charged with murder of baby boy
A man has been charged with murder after the death of a four-month-old baby in the state’s northwest. Here is what we know.