Patient Story – Maddox Porter

Shelley Porter remembers the moment she first saw the blue-and-yellow helicopter coming to the aid of her little boy.

Seven-year-old Maddox, and little brother Ashton, had been helping to mow the lawn on Easter Sunday this year; sitting next to Shelley on a ride-on mower.

Suddenly they hit a rocky patch and in a split second, Maddox’s left hand fell under the mower’s blades. Shelley remembers going into shock as she grappled with her son’s horrific injury.

Maddox was stabilised but it was clear he would need emergency surgery in Brisbane.

The Toowoomba based RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopter was quickly on the scene, landing in the backyard and providing medical care for Maddox during his airlift.

Maddox has undergone multiple surgeries, some of which have lasted more than 17 hours.

The Porter family knows the outcome for Maddox may have been very different without RACQ LifeFlight Rescue and has since raised more than $10,000 for the charity in recognition of the care and compassion they received that fateful day.