Your caring support makes it easier for people in the outback to get regular GP check-ups that are so important in providing vital care. Just take it from Marie, who wouldn’t be here without you.
After surgery and treatment for bowel cancer, Marie says she feels so fortunate that her community has Flying Doctor clinics. “The service is really good. When they picked up something was wrong, they put my scan through as urgent, which was lucky, because the cancer was right through me.”
Marie knew something wasn’t quite right with her health. But for people who live in the bush, like Marie, it’s not always easy to get a medical opinion. Living in the tiny town of Angeldool, 45 kilometres from Lightning Ridge with a population of just 58 people, Marie’s nearest major hospital is in Dubbo, hundreds of kilometres away.
Then one day, Marie received an email about our clinic visits in nearby Hebel. “The email said the Flying Doctor would be at Hebel every second Tuesday, so I rang up and made an appointment." The phone call saved her life.
“Doctor Paul Lunney at the clinic sent me off for blood tests, then got paperwork organised and pushed for an urgent colonoscopy. He followed through. There would have been a 30–60-day wait otherwise. Eight days later, I was in surgery.”
Marie’s health is now regularly monitored, and she attends the Hebel clinic fortnightly for check-ins with Nurse Abbey. “I never thought I would use the Flying Doctor. Never in a million years. You never know when you’re going to use it,” Marie said.
Thank you for your life-saving commitment to providing clinic visits for rural, regional and remote communities. With your support, people like Marie can get the urgent care they need.
