Life Flight

“My wife was told ‘We don’t think he’s going to make it’ after the first few nights in the ICU. I had already died three times. It’s so lucky, so many things could have gone wrong, but you saved my life.”

Brendan, an avid cyclist, took on one of his most frequented events, a 15KM time trial at the Gladstone Sports complex in early 2023.  It was a day like any other. Brendan regularly takes on competitive races, taking on a high intensity race only a few days prior, but he had no idea how close this race would bring him to death. 

As he came up to a turn in the road, a wave of horrendous pain and sickness ran through Brendan, so bad, he struggled to hold onto his handlebars.  “My hands were hurting like hell, but I needed to get to the end of the race where I knew a doctor was on site,” said Brendan “I couldn’t stop, or I wouldn’t get help!” 

Urging every part of his being to reach the end of the race, he finally made it to the doctor’s tent. But shortly after leaving the tent, Brendan’s heart stopped. He fell from his bike, head hitting the ground so hard that it shattered his helmet.  Fortunately, another racer spotted him, immediately administered CPR, and dialed 111.

Powered by your support, the Life Flight crew, pilot Anna, crewperson Colin, and flight paramedic Nigel were in the air only nine minutes after receiving the call.

The crew boarded him onto the Westpac Chopper, and once safely secured, it only took 28 minutes to reach the Wellington Hospital rooftop helipad.

I had three cardiac arrests on route, three days on full life support, and three weeks in ICU. You’ve gifted me an extra 20 years of life. None of this would have been possible without Life Flight’s supporters. I don’t think there’s a day, an hour, that goes by where I don’t feel grateful.

With months of rehabilitation and hard work, Brendan relearned how to eat, talk, walk, and bike! His recovery was nothing short of miraculous. Months of rehab followed, but by September he was back on his bike and by December, he was winning races. Family is now the most important part of his world, and every moment feels like a gift.