'These two events affected the town badly'
TWO serious incidents have rocked a small Darling Downs town in the space of a year and now it is rallying to support a life-saving service.
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TWO serious incidents have rocked a small Darling Downs town in the space of a year and now it is rallying to support a life-saving service.
Young siblings Jack, seven, and Ella, five, Thompson were hit by a car on June 21 on their way to school in Pittsworth.
The pair suffered critical head injuries and were airlifted by RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopter service to Lady Cilento Children's Hospital.
The town was again shaken two month ago when a Pittsworth council employee was involved in a serious motor vehicle incident and was airlifted by the same helicopter service to the Princess Alexandra hospital.
He remains there in the neurological rehabilitation unit, while the Thompson siblings have since made a good recovery and returned to school.
The community gathered this morning to help raise money for the LifeFlight Foundation at the annual Toowoomba Regional Council Mayoral Prayer Breakfast, with a golf day to follow.
Former Pittsworth mayor Ros Scotney said without LifeFlight the outcomes would have been very different.
"These two events affected the town badly. It was great that LifeFlight could be there to get them to Brisbane so quickly," Ms Scotney said.
"The two children are now back at school and the council employee is under rehabilitation in hospital."
Now in its third year, the Mayoral Prayer Breakfast and Golf Day has supported a number of worthwhile charities which have had a real impact on the Pittsworth community.
Past patient Sandy Morris spoke at the breakfast, sharing his remarkable tale of survival after he was airlifted from Gatton Showgrounds after a string of serious seizures which nearly cost him his life.
LifeFlight community engagement officer south-west Amy Luhrs said money raised at this year's Mayoral Prayer Breakfast and Golf Day would help save more lives in the south-west region.
"The Pittsworth community have been rocked by several tragedies this year but LifeFlight was able to be there to give these patients a second at chance at life," she said.
"Without the RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopter service, these Pittsworth locals would not be here today."
Originally published as 'These two events affected the town badly'
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