The Lifeline we need to Live Rural

The Rescue Helicopter can be the difference between life and death in our rural communities. Everyone knows someone who has used it due to illness or accident and for our family, the Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter is the reason our family can live the lifestyle that we do in Tapawera.

When our third youngest, Brydie was born, she was diagnosed with Hydrocephalus which meant the excess fluid build-up in her brain would leave her with high-needs. Against the specialist’s odds, Brydie survived and came home with us to Tapawera to resume our lives and continue farming cattle. At sixteen months old, a mother’s worst nightmare came in to play – Brydie was seizing, there were no Intensive Care Paramedics in the area and Nelson Hospital is over an hour away by ambulance. Brydie was in chronic need for medical attention and within twenty minutes, was picked up by John (one of the helicopter’s St John Intensive Care Paramedics), stabilised and was flying to Nelson Hospital.

I would like to say that this was our family’s only experience using the chopper but unfortunately, due to Brydie’s Hydrocephalus prognosis, specialists can’t pinpoint the problem in Brydie’s brain that causes seizures.  By the time Brydie was four, she has used the helicopter four times and that number will rise.

My family has lived rurally our entire lives and we love what it takes to keep a beef farm going, it’s in our blood. The Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter, for our family, is the lifeline we need to keep our family on the land; and when accidents happen (which accidents do) or Brydie seizures – we know we can depend on receiving specialist care that our family and communities deserve.

Our family wanted to give something back to the Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter to thank them for their life saving work and help them in the future.  Like most farmers, being asset rich and cash poor, we had to think outside the square. That is why our family is pledging cattle to the Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter because we need this vital service to continue being our lifeline.

Our family are encouraging all rural communities to get behind the Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter’s “Gift Your Livestock” campaign because simply put, the service is the difference between life and death and it is the lifeline that we need. Whether it is cattle, sheep or even deer, these livestock will help the chopper be available to us 24/7 day or night.  If you would like to gift any livestock to the Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter Trust please contact paula@helirescue.co.nz or 03 547 7278 or for more information www.helirescue.co.nz/giftstock.