When 10-year-old Toby’s life was in danger, your support got him to Starship Hospital in just 35 minutes. That flight (and your kindness) will never forgotten by Toby or his family.
Not long after Toby’s 10th birthday, he came down with a headache and a slight fever. His mum, Rachel, took him to the local medical Centre, and he was quickly referred to Tauranga Hospital.
The next day, Rachel received devastating news. A CT scan and an MRI had revealed that Toby had a Potts Puffy Tumor and multiple intracranial abscesses.
His life was in critical danger - and he needed to get to the Neurosurgeon Team in Starship ASAP.
Every minute counted.
By road? The trip to Starship would’ve taken three hours.
Thanks to our amazing supporters, the Aerocool Rescue Helicopter was able to cut that down to a 35 minutes flight – saving precious time for this young boy.
Throughout the entire flight, your rescue helicopter crew provided expert care for the unwell Toby (and the anxious and airsick Rachel) – bringing a sense of calm and reassurance to a deeply worrying situation.
Rachel says,
‘I still get emotional when I think about how different our journey could’ve been without the helicopter service that night. You can’t put a value on the importance of getting your sick child to where they need to be, to get the best care possible, as fast as possible.’
After they landed in Auckland, Toby went into surgery. They ended up spending 11 days in Starship, followed by a week in Tauranga Hospital. And when they were back at home, there was an in-house Paediatric Nurse team to help the family with Toby’s 72 days of IV antibiotics.
This young boy’s medical journey isn’t over yet, but he’s well on the road to recovery. And wonderfully, he’s even been well enough to stop by the local hangar to visit the crew – and take a look around ‘his helicopter’.
His mum Rachel is deeply appreciative, and told us,
‘It’s hard to put into words how the experience has changed the lives of our family. It’s one of those times when you think “I never thought this would be us.”
‘We cannot thank you enough for your care that night. The words ‘thank you’ aren’t big enough to carry all the appreciation and gratitude we feel for helping our son.’
We wish Toby all the best in his recovery, and we’re so glad that we could be there for him and his family.
But we never forget that the ONLY way we can do that, is thanks to our truly amazing supporters.
Thank you for making life-saving flights like this possible in your community. You are wonderful! Donate today to save more lives like Toby's > https://give.rescue.org.nz/event/aerocool-rescue-helicopter/donate
Toby, visiting his rescue helicopter crew:
