LifeFlight’s Meg Ahern has swapped the inland city of Toowoomba for a coastal lifestyle as First Minutes Matter’s dedicated Wide Bay-Burnett medical educator in Bundaberg.
Meg’s role is fully funded by the community, with fundraising efforts in 2025 contributing to the full-time position.
Annual events such as the ‘Soiree in the Hangar’ hosted at the LifeFlight Bundaberg Base contributed to Meg’s position, which will see her permanently based in the area.
At a free First Minutes Matter workshop, participants learn trauma training skills that can help in an emergency, such as how to treat snake bites, burns and perform CPR.
Meg said the Bundaberg community had welcomed her with open arms.
“The community makes you feel welcome and well regarded straight off the bat. They’ve been so welcoming, and you feel very wanted in the community,” she said.
A self-acclaimed ‘beach bum’, Meg said living near Bargara was something she’d been wanting for years.
“It’s very laid-back and everyone is so friendly. It’s made it easier to form connections within the community,” she said.
Meg and husband Anthony raised their family in Toowoomba, where she worked as an ICU and ED nurse before jumping into school nursing and management.
“I’ve seen men, women and children come into the emergency room after all sorts of accidents and disasters,” she said.
“And I can tell you that when they know the basics of trauma training, it makes all the difference in the world to their medical outcomes.
“It can impact the amount of time they spend in hospital, whether or not they have a life-long disability, or in some cases, knowing what to do in a medical emergency can mean the difference between life and death.”
