In the midst of a crisis, it’s easy to forget that the emergency services heroes helping us are rarely thanked properly or given closure, which can negatively impact on their mental health. It’s time we change this with Find my Hero Australia
Find my Hero Australia invites us all to tell personal stories which recognise an emergency services everyday hero using the hashtag #FindmyHeroAU on Facebook. Others can then share and tag the post to help get the message of gratitude to the individual, department or unit involved.
There are some emergency services heroes in particular that I’d dearly like to find and thank, so here’s my story.
Watch Lucy’s Find My Hero Video
The depths of my gratitude towards emergency service workers wasn’t fully realised until 2006 – I was 24 and a new mum. My eldest son, Ed, was born with congenital heart disease and required multiple ambulance rides. I can’t even remember how many times I had to dial 000 when Ed was young, but each time I was met with a calm and reassuring voice.
At the time I didn’t stop to think what impact those calls must have had on the person on the other end of the line. As first responders they must feel enormous pressure and yet they don’t show it. I’d love to Find my Hero from the call centre and have the opportunity to say thank you.
The retrieval that will stay with me forever happened about five years ago. Ed had deteriorated rapidly and was in a critical condition at home. After dialling 000, a single response ambulance was dispatched and arrived first, followed by two ambulances, so we had 5 paramedics in our home.
It was a chaotic scene, my husband was very distressed and so were our two youngest sons. It was all playing out in our family room – Ed lying on the floor – and I just remember it being frenetic and yet the paramedics bought an air of calm, they were focussed on stabilising Ed. There were so many people but they all just played their role
Once Ed was stabilised we were transported to Women’s and Children’s Hospital by two of the paramedics. The paramedic in the back of the ambulance with Ed and I was so kind, so reassuring – I remember my adrenalin was racing.
I can only remember the face of the paramedic in the back of the ambulance that day. I wish I could remember all of them, so that I could say thank you to my many heroes. But thank you hardly seems enough. I would like them to know I think of them often and that Ed is doing so well, and much of that is to do with what they did to help him on that day.
Together we can all say thank you to the Emergency Service personnel who have helped us over the years. To show your support, follow Find My Hero AU and commit to sharing your story by posting it on your Facebook or Instagram using the hashtag #FindmyHeroAU. By doing this, you’ve made the first step in potentially reaching the people, the heroes, that were there to help you, just like I hope my story will reach my heroes.
