Thank a Paramedic Day 2019

July 24, 2019 | in Community News, News, Operations, Patient story

Victorians can today say a collective ‘thanks’ to the paramedics, ambulance volunteers and patient transport officers who have responded to them in their time of need.

Ambulance Victoria CEO, Associate Professor Tony Walker, said that while paramedics and volunteers never expect to be thanked for doing their job, they are grateful for the many messages of support and thanks they receive from patients and their loved ones.

“Days like today are a wonderful opportunity to connect with the community that we serve and acknowledge the important role they play in helping us deliver the best care possible,” he said.

This year, four patients are reunited with paramedics on Thank a Paramedic Day:

· One-year-old Sadie Dodd who became critically unwell with a rare virus when she was nine days old and spent the next nine days in a coma in hospital.

· Tim Stinear, who was revived by paramedics when he suffered a cardiac arrest as a young man 30 years ago. He is now a molecular microbiologist, university professor and father of three.

· Trent Wilkinson, 30, who survived a rare and usually fatal lung injury when his chest was crushed in an accident in April 2019 – only weeks after his third child was delivered in the back of an ambulance.

· Stroke survivor and new father Paul Fink, who had to re-learn how to read, write, talk, walk and communicate after a devastating brain bleed.

Professor Walker said: “As paramedics, we rarely receive updates from our patients after we treat and transport them to hospital. That’s why this day is so important – because it gives us a chance to see the real effect it has on the lives of Victorians and their families.”

Anyone wanting to get involved on Thank a Paramedic Day can take to social media using the hashtag #ThanksAmbos to post their message of support.