Allana tells about the moment when your kindness came to her husband’s rescue.
“We were out hunting, as we’d done so many times before. We hadn’t gotten anything, and usually when we don’t get any deer - we do some pest control.
So, as he’d always done, Matt went into the shed and climbed on the hay bales as we watched below.
We were all laughing as he tried to catch a possum.
Then, as he went to leave, one of the bales gave way and he fell about 3 - 4 metres onto the concrete directly onto his tailbone area.
He let out a scream, and we all rushed to help. He was so winded, it took 20 minutes for him to get his breath back.
Not wanting any fuss, Matt forced himself to stand and walked to our vehicle. After that, we drove straight to Te Kuiti Hospital.
As soon as Matt was assessed he was immobilised, given pain relief, and we were told the helicopter was being called to transport him to Waikato Hospital.
It was such a relief to hear the helicopter approaching. We were really worried about what the outcome would be.
And the team were just incredible. They were caring, humourous, and kept us all calm during the 19-minute flight.
"Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts!"
"I now know the amount of care a rescue crew show their patients and their families in what can be the scariest time of your life. We can never say thank you enough. It’s something we’ll never forget.”
When Allana and Matt arrived at Waikato Hospital, they discovered that he’d sustained multiple fractures and serious injuries throughout his body - making them even more grateful for the flight your generous support provided.
And today, after months of intensive recovery, we’re thrilled to share that Matt is doing a lot better and is back to walking in his beloved bush!
From all of us at the Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter: thank you for helping us rescue people like Matt in your community.
Donate today to help more families like Matt and Allana's: https://give.rescue.org.nz/event/waikato-westpac-rescue-helicopter/donate