Three things saved Jacqui Rich when she ruptured her spleen this year after crashing her quad bike.
A rescue helicopter set up as a flying hospital, an aeromedical team that quickly assessed her injuries, and the blood donation from strangers she will never get to thank.
LifeFlight’s critical care doctor Chris Jarvis needed to give Jacqui almost two litres of blood on the helicopter flight from Wandoan to Toowoomba Hospital in February this year.
Today, (Friday December 6) at LifeFlight’s Toowoomba base Jacqui introduced her two-year-old son Lucas to the critical care doctor who kept his mum alive.
The emotional reunion included Doctor Jarvis showing Lucas the back of the helicopter and some of the medical equipment he used to pump six units of blood into his mum.
“It’s great to see Jacqui looking so well today,” Dr Jarvis said.
Toowoomba Hospital surgeons removed Jacqui’s spleen and drained 2.5 litres of blood from her abdomen.
“Doctor Chris Jarvis did such a stellar job saving me,” Jacqui said.
Ten months after her medical emergency, Jacqui has two wishes in the lead up to Christmas.
She’s hoping to encourage her friends, family and strangers to donate money to LifeFlight and to also to donate blood to Lifeblood.
Queensland traditionally has low state-wide blood stocks in mid-December and experiences a big drop in blood donations just before Christmas.
“LifeFlight and Lifeblood keep families together,” Jacqui said.
Jacqui is encouraging 100 of her friends and family to each donate $100 to LifeFlight’s $1 million Christmas appeal to support critical care doctors on the rescue helicopters.
She’s also set up a Lifeblood group called Jacqui’s Team to keep a track of the amount of blood her friends and family and the people they encourage donate. Her goal is to encourage 50 new blood donors to collect 20 litres in 12 months.
Today, her friend Daniel was one of the first in Jacqui’s Team to donate.
“Jacqui’s testament to just how meaningful it is to stop what you are doing, and sit back to donate a bit of your blood,” he said.
Jacqui says she’s looking forward to a quiet Christmas with the people she loves the most.
“Without the generosity of strangers who donated their blood, I wouldn’t be here to celebrate this Christmas with my beautiful family,” she said. “I wouldn’t be here without LifeFlight and Lifeblood.”
If you live in regional Queensland, chances are you know of someone who has needed an aeromedical crew to save them.
“Think of your family,” Jacqui said.
“Think of your grandparents, your parents, brothers and sisters, aunties and uncles and cousins and friends. One day, one of them might need LifeFlight. One day, one of them might need a blood donation.
“Encouraging my community to donate blood is one way I can thank the people who saved me for their incredible generosity.
“Now I get to keep enjoying my life, spreading joy and love to my family and friends.”
You can donate to LifeFlight’s Christmas appeal here.
If you’d like to join Jacqui’s Team register as a blood donor with Lifeblood here.
