While Queenslanders are looking forward to spending time with their families, LifeFlight crews are preparing to spend their own Christmas season away from loved ones and be on standby for what are often the busiest, most critical days of the year.
In the most ordinary moments – a family holiday, a day at the park, a beachside celebration – life can turn unexpectedly. Without LifeFlight, some Australian families may not still be together.
With your gift today, you will be supporting our crews over the summer period – and helping LifeFlight keep families together.
In 2023, then 6-year-old Yarren was playing with his friends in the park when he ran up to his mother Rachael and told her he was ‘seeing rainbows’ before he vomited and collapsed.
QAS rushed Yarren to Noosa Private Hospital where doctors intubated and put him into an induced coma. The LifeFlight crew continued Yarren’s medical care, flying him to Sunshine Coast University Hospital.
LifeFlight Doctor Hamish Brown said the 12-minute flight compared to the 45-minute trip by road was vital because they didn’t really know why Yarren was so critically unwell. Being inside the LifeFlight helicopter meant that Yarren never left the intensive care unit bubble.
It was later found that Yarren had a severe anaphylactic reaction to touching hairy caterpillars at the park.
“Without LifeFlight, I would hate to think of some of the experiences or the endings that some families would have to go through.” – Yarren’s mum, Rachael
In the most ordinary moments — a family holiday, a day at the park, a beachside celebration — life can turn unexpectedly. Without LifeFlight, some Australian families may not still be together.
Our LifeFlight crews are away from their families over these family times of the year – but they do it so we can keep families like Yarren’s and Felicity’s together – and your family too. Support our crews who are on standby 24/7, 365 days a year, even on Christmas, to ensure your loved ones have the access to the medical care they need no matter where you live or go this Christmas and holiday season.
– LifeFlight past patient Felicity’s Mum, Katie.
On Australia Day 2025, 11-year-old Felicity was enjoying a beautiful day with friends and family when the day went terribly wrong.
While on a slip and slide, Felicity’s leg got tangled in an inflatable tube, and her femur snapped clean in two.
Due to the remote location of the accident, LifeFlight was called to take Felicity to hospital, saving her a long and extremely painful trip by road.
“Felicity’s leg was shaped like a banana. The pain was so bad she was screaming.” – Felicity’s mum, Katie
Given Felicity’s age and the uncertain severity of the injury, our LifeFlight crew was called in as a precaution to rule out any underlying issues that could have caused further pain or posed additional risk.
Felicity is now doing well and is looking forward to getting her leg pins out this November, just in time to enjoy the summer holiday and she’s most excited about “getting back on my horse and normal life!”
– LifeFlight Pilot Tyson Pearce
Support our crews in saving lives during the busiest time of the year.
*All donations over $2 are tax-deductible. At the LifeFlight Foundation (ABN: 63 618 170 184), we use Payments2Us and Ezidebit so your donations are secure. If you have any questions or concerns, please get in touch.
We acknowledge the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Traditional Custodians of the land on which we serve and fly, and pay respect to their Elders past, present and future.
