Media personality Ben Dobbin is the latest high-profile name to sign up as a Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) (Queensland Section) Lighting the Way Ambassador.
A familiar voice across Queensland, Ben currently hosts two popular radio programs—Triple M’s Rush Hour and Rural Queensland Today. He’s also widely respected as a rugby league commentator and a skilled auctioneer. Ben has always been a strong supporter of the RFDS, but in 2006, he got a first-hand experience of what it was like to be a patient.
“I’d played rugby for Condamine on the Saturday and by the Tuesday I realised I was in trouble,” Ben said.
“I’d had a headache and was out drafting cattle when my face dropped, and I couldn’t talk.
“The RFDS flew in and picked me up and took me to hospital in Toowoomba.
“The next day I checked myself out of hospital, which wasn’t the smartest thing to do, because later that night I again lost all speech, couldn’t walk and my head felt like it was going to explode.
“The RFDS again swooped in to retrieve me and got me the help I needed.
“Turns out I’d had a brain bleed, and if I hadn’t been taken to St Vincent’s Hospital in Toowoomba, I’m sure I wouldn’t be here today.
“The RFDS saved my life twice in two days.”
Ben’s first official role as Ambassador is serving as a judge for the Outback Explorer Competition, a joint initiative between RFDS (Queensland Section) and Elders.
The competition aims to showcase the richness and diversity of Queensland communities and the people who live within them, asking entrants to submit a short video showcasing their life in regional Queensland.
Submissions for the Outback Explorer Competition close on Tuesday 26 August.
