Just before Christmas last year, a fire tore through Clint and Erin McPherson’s farm at Gillingarra, south of Moora.
New Home Farm, owned by Clint’s family since 1904, was left blackened and scorched, though miraculously, no major infrastructure was destroyed.
The McPhersons credit the support of neighbours and volunteer firefighters for saving their farm.
Once the cause - a small bearing in their header - had been pinpointed, the family turned to celebrating their narrow escape.
But relief gave way to another ordeal.
After two days of mopping up after the fire, their children Gus and Georgie went for one last motorbike ride around the paddocks before dinner.
They chose separate routes home, but when Georgie arrived at the house, Gus was nowhere to be seen.
Erin immediately sensed something was wrong. She and Georgie jumped into the car, fearing the worst as they searched the tracks while the sun set.
Their headlights soon illuminated Gus’s damaged bike on its side, and the 10 year old slumped against a fencepost. Erin and Georgie ran to him; Gus, pale and disoriented, told them he had broken his leg. Georgie stayed with her brother while Erin raced back to get Clint.
They realised Gus had ridden his motorbike straight into a metal gate which had been left open during the fire.
“Gus kept repeating words, he was really confused,” recalls Georgie. “I was telling him he was in the paddock and Dad’s coming, you’ll be right.”
Erin called Triple Zero and a volunteer crew arrived within minutes.
Aside from his obviously broken leg, they suspected Gus had broken both arms and also placed him in a spinal collar as a precaution. There was also concern he may have suffered internal injuries.
When you see a medical team start to work on a child whose had a motorbike accident, you start to realise there could be more going on
Erin, Gus' mumWhile being treated at Moora Hospital, Gus became increasingly confused and agitated, a symptom of the concussion he’d suffered.
X-rays showed his arms were not broken, but the doctor said he would need to be flown by the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) to Perth Children’s Hospital for further scans and treatment.
Gus and Erin were taken by ambulance to the local airstrip where they were met by RFDS pilot Simon, Dr Alby and Flight Nurse Christina who reassured them they were in safe hands to get to Perth.
“I was so calm seeing the sun rise over Moora and Gus was finally sleeping. Of the entire event, that plane ride was when I felt at my calmest.” said Erin.
Gus faced a long road to recovery. His concussion meant he had to spend a week in Perth Children’s Hospital.
Breaking both his tibia and fibula, he was in a full leg cast for 10 weeks forcing him to spend the summer holidays in a wheelchair.
His long rehabilitation included a short leg cast, a moonboot and ongoing physio, but he’s now back playing sport and riding his motorbike.
The McPhersons wanted to find a way to give back to the RFDS. A fundraising event they organised raised more than $130,000. They visited the Jandakot RFDS base months later to present the cheque and were reunited with Dr Alby and Pilot Simon.
“You never think that you're going to use the RFDS and then to see the plane for the second time and know that you've been in it was really quite emotional,” said Erin.
“It's so personalised, the crew really do care. It’s more than just a service.”
