While on a family holiday in North Queensland, Samantha's two-year-old daughter, Isla, was pulled unresponsive from the caravan park swimming pool.
The Flying Doctor was tasked by Retrieval Services Queensland and flew her to the care she needed. Today, Isla is a healthy six-year-old, and her mum, Samantha, gives back to the RFDS every chance she gets.
For Samantha, the RFDS is far more than a charity. It's a service that has helped save the lives of the people she loves most.
With the support of Queensland Ambulance Service, Isla was taken to a small regional hospital in Proserpine where she was assessed by a telehealth doctor.
"It was nice to have the doctor there throughout, and for us to hear what the situation was in real time, rather than sitting in the other room," Samantha said.
After the initial assessment, it was clear Isla needed care beyond the hospital's capability, so the RFDS was called to transport her to Townsville.
"They didn't just take care of Isla," Samantha says. "They took care of all of us, keeping me informed, making me feel like it would be okay."
Isla woke the next day in ICU, asking for food. Today she's a healthy six-year-old with no ongoing health issues.
It wasn't the family's only experience with the Flying Doctor. Samantha's father also relied on the service, when a sudden deterioration in his lung disease required an urgent transfer to Brisbane with the RFDS.
Those experiences stay with Samantha every day at work. Through her role at Ergon Energy Retail, Samantha helps connect customers with the opportunity to support the RFDS through a customer donation program. Through Ergon Energy Retail's longstanding partnership with the RFDS, Samantha has seen how passionately Ergon customers support this vital service across regional and remote Queensland.
Samantha also contributes personally through her own energy bill and has raised more than $1,600 over three years of participating in the RFDS Oceans to Outback challenge.
"You don't know until you've used them," she says. "But if we can get more people to donate, we're going to make it better for everyone. Through Ergon, we get to help make sure the service is there before that moment comes."
RFDS (Queensland Section) gratefully acknowledges the generous funding support from Queensland Health to deliver essential inter-facility patient transfers.
