#19. The Paramedics
A dying wish is the last thing a person wants to see or do before they pass away. It’s a vey serious wish as no one wants to die with a huge regret on his or her mind. So when this ambulance service got put in this sort of situation they had a big decision to make. Two Queensland Ambulance Service paramedics named Graeme Cooper and Danielle Kellan were called in to take a woman into the hospital. They quickly dispatched their vehicle over to her home to pick her up but they had no idea what they would be facing.
#18. The Patient
The patient that they were going to pick up was an elderly woman and it was clear that these would be her final moments. She understood that her time had run out and she made a simple request to the paramedics. She wanted to see the ocean one last time.
#17. Last Request
“A crew were transporting a patient to the palliative care unit of the local hospital and the patient expressed that she just wished she could be at the beach again,” explained Hervey Bay officer-in-charge Helen Donaldson.
So how did the crew react?
#16. Happy To Help
The crew felt absolutely no hesitation to fulfill the woman’s last wish. “She said she loved the esplanade and the beach, and we said, ‘Well, do you want us to take you down by the esplanade and pop you out of the truck and give you a look at the ocean?’” Graeme said.
#15. Small Detour
Instead of heading off straight to the hospital, the paramedics made a small detour to Hervey Bay. They then pulled the woman out on the stretcher and rolled her over to the rocks where she could take one last look at the ocean. So how did the woman react?
#14. Ecstatic
“She was just ecstatic,” Graeme said. “She was saying how she moved to Hervey Bay with her husband on the spur of the moment and they’ve been here ever since.” While Graeme stayed by her side, Danielle happened to snap a photo of the situation.
#13. Facebook News
The photo was uploaded onto the Queensland Ambulance Service Facebook page. People instantly fell in love with the story! Many people even began to share similar stories of other paramedics that have gone above and beyond. Check out what one commenter said!
#12. More Helpful People
A nurse named MJ Grant shared her story about taking care of a terminally ill man who was battling insomnia. “One night he expressed how he missed the sunrises. So every morning when I was on that night, I would time it that I was in his room opening the blinds and we would sit and watch the sunrise,” she wrote.
But the Queensland paramedic’s helpful care doesn’t end just yet.
#11. Ocean Water
Since the woman was bound to her stretcher she could not actually go down by the beach to feel the ocean one last time. So Graeme grabbed a bag and used it to scoop up some ocean water for her to touch. It was a touching move…
#10. Salty Water
“I thought the next best thing is I can get some ocean and bring it to her,” he said. “She actually tasted the salt water. I can’t describe the feeling, when you’re in the situations with people. It’s just very humbling to have these experiences.”
You won’t believe what the woman had to say about all of this.
#9. The Woman’s Words
Ms. Kellan asked the woman a question and her response was powerful. “I said to the patient, ‘what are you thinking?’ She was looking out towards Fraser Island and she said, ‘I’m at peace, everything’s right‘.”
#8. Not Heroes
The paramedics have received tons of praise on social media for their caring act. However, they don’t want anyone to think of them as heroes.
“It’s not just us, it’s right across the service. There are a lot of responses on Facebook today, it’s right around the world … there are stories today about other examples of the same thing,” Kellan said.
This couldn’t be truer as you’ll see in this next example.
#7. Denmark Hospital
Carsten Flemming Hansen was brought to the Aarhus University Hospital in need of surgery. However, he was far too ill to undergo surgery that would basically save his life. He was in an unfortunate situation…
#6. Bad News
The doctors told Hansen that without the surgery he would surely die within a few days, if not hours from internal bleeding. When faced with the seriousness of the situation, Hansen began to wonder about his life and brought a last wish to his nurse.
#5. Last Wish
Mr. Hansen told his nurse, Rikke Kvist, of his final wish. While the hospital has a very strict no-smoking policy, the nurse made sure to go out of her way to grant his wish. So what was his last wish?
#4. Sunset & A Smoke
It seems that all Mr. Hansen wanted to smoke a final cigarette while watching the sunset. “I remembered that we are on the same floor that has access to a balcony,” Kvist said. So what did Nurse Kvist do?!
#3. Fulfilled Wish
Kvist had the hospital bed wheeled out onto the balcony where Mr. Hanson enjoyed a cigarette and a glass of wine with a sunset view in the company of his family and Nurse Kvist. The moment was captured with a photograph of Hanson staring off into the sunset. “It was a very cozy and relaxed atmosphere,” Ms Kvist said.
#2. Shared Photo
The hospital shared the photo of Mr. Hansen enjoying his moment with his family and wrote on Facebook, saying: “The family agreed that [in]this situation [what]Carsten Hansen wants [was]more important than the treatment [and]prevention.”
#1. Small Kindness
Stories like these show us just how kind and generous so many people on this planet are. Paramedics have stressful jobs as it is and to see them go above and beyond for individual patients is truly heartwarming.