they have to deal with . In my position with CareFlight my paramedic training has helped me get the patient ‘ packed up ’ on a stretcher and ready to go in the Mounties Care CareFlight Helicopter for transportation .”
While she administers the best care and attention to each patient in her care , Ruth told me that the two jobs are very different .
“ In hospitals the patient comes to you in a bed , with perfect lighting and temperature and a team you are used to working with . With CareFlight it ’ s pre-hospital , there could be 1,000 different things going on , you could be dealing with bad weather , the media , a crowd or working at a challenging location which makes giving the necessary care more demanding on your skills .”
Her dedication to medicine earned Ruth a nomination to Westfield ’ s Local Heroes this year and she was one of the lucky winners !
She was very surprised to be nominated for the award and sees what her team do on a daily basis as nothing out of the ordinary .
“ I was surprised at being nominated , it ’ s very flattering . We don ’ t think we are heroes ; we are ordinary people who have become very practised at dealing with specific situations and we are very privileged to help people during the worst moments of their lives .”
Along with the prestige of the award , Ruth was given a $ 10,000 grant to use for CareFlight and she has already decided what it will be spent on .
“ One of my roles is to train the new doctors , it ’ s like they are at a finishing school preparing them for the different situations they are likely to face . Some of the money will go towards a 3D printer so we can make more realistic models of parts of the anatomy to use in the training ,” she said .
“ The rest will be spent on a new ultrasound machine to keep in the helicopter . It fits in the palm of your hand , similar size to a smart phone , with a probe attached so we can assess patients while out on a call to check if they are bleeding internally or look at their heart or lungs .”
When she isn ’ t busy helping others , Ruth likes nothing better than to be with her husband Brian , who also works at CareFlight as an aircrew officer , and their two children . For relaxation she likes to hit the gym most days and follows it by catching up with friends over a coffee or breakfast .
“ I ’ m big on going to the gym . I can get quite anxious , and exercise helps with that , but I ’ m all about balance and seeing my girlfriends regularly helps to keep my mental health on track .”
If you want to know more about CareFlight , make a donation or buy one of the well-known CareFlight Bears you can go to www . careflight . org for more information .
Ruth takes the emergency team to the patient with CareFlight . Photo : Kathryn Johnston
THE HILLS INDEPENDENT theindependentmagazine . com . au ISSUE 79 // JANUARY 2022 7