Graphic: 11 year old, Eliza, is pictured next to pilot, Elliot Johnston who is being interviewed. They are seated in front of an RFDS aeroplane, smiling.
As the daughter of an RFDS Nurse Manager, Eliza grew up knowing all about the RFDS, but when a serious accident occurred, she turned that experience into an incredible feature for Juiced TV.
Eliza was just seven years of age when a ninja stunt gone wrong resulted in a badly broken arm and she required the services of RFDS to transport her from Charleville to Toowoomba for specialist treatment.
Four years later - and fully healed - Eliza has teamed up with the incredible kids (and adults) behind Juiced TV, an Australian first in entertainment that helps many young people and their families facing a tough time in hospitals across the state.
Joining one of almost 5,000 current and former hospital families, Juiced TV segments like Eliza’s have brought joy and entertainment to millions of children’s hospital rooms across the state.
Eliza recalled it was the eve of her dad’s birthday, that she spent one night in Charleville Hospital, where her dad treated her to a “super yum” roast pork dinner, before the next morning taking the RFDS aircraft to Toowoomba.
For Eliza, and so many patients like her, it was the people at RFDS who stood out. “Everyone was really nice, from the pilot to the nurse who handed me a teddy bear and a blanket,” Eliza said.
Roping in her mum Joanne, a Nurse Manager who has worked with RFDS for almost 20 years and Charleville pilot Elliott Johnston, Eliza’s journalistic debut for Juiced TV helped to spotlight the shared love the RFDS team have for treating patients across Queensland.
In Joanne’s words: “The best part about working at RFDS is definitely people like you [Eliza]; I love caring for the patients, they are all very special, so I am very privileged to be there when they most need it.”
To watch the full interview, and understand first-hand how the people of RFDS enjoy connecting people in communities like Charleville to specialist treatment across Queensland, watch Eliza’s full Juiced TV episode here.
