Student nurse Laura was told she would never walk or talk again

Article supplied by RFDS.

On a ‘random Thursday night’ in January 2023, student nurse Laura McKenney’s life changed in an instant. As a passenger is a car that crashed near the WA town of Pingrup, Laura was thrown and then crushed by the same vehicle, as it rolled back over her. Laura was not wearing a seat belt. Earlier this year, Laura and her family visited the RFDS base at Jandokot and met the WA RFDS retrieval nurse, Lisa, who assisted Laura that night.  Nearly two years on from her accident, Laura and her older sister Emily are ready to share their family’s remarkable journey and Laura’s inspirational recovery from a severe head injury and resulting stroke. In episode #110 of the Flying Doctor podcast – with their Champion Ocean to Outback Fundraiser hats firmly in place – these WA ‘Laura’s Army’ legends are also keen to thank all the first responders and RFDS front-line staff who helped to save Laura’s life that fateful night.

Hours after her accident, Laura's family were told she may never wake up. Let alone walk or talk again.

Laura’s memories from the night of her accident remain (unsurprisingly) hazy. But she does remember that there was speed and alcohol involved. Luckily, the driver and the other passenger in the car that night walked away with only minor injuries. But after she suffered an accident-induced stroke enroute to hospital, Laura’s parents and family members – including her older sister Emily – arrived at the hospital to the news that nobody ever wants to hear. Doctors warned the family that Laura may not survive. If she did, it was unlikely she’d ever regain consciousness. If she woke up, there was very little chance she would ever walk or talk again. The 21-year-old underwent an emergency Craniotomy to relieve the pressure on her brain. But it was many more weeks until her family would start to see ‘the real Laura’ come back to them again. For Laura’s loved ones, those next few weeks in hospital – waiting for her to show any signs of comprehension or recovery – were excruciating.

Laura was a happy-go-lucky student nurse before a car crash changed her life forever.

This October, Laura and Emily and their incredible ‘Laura’s Army’ team of supporters, will once again take on the RFDS fundraising Oceans to Outback Challenge. Last year, they not only managed to raise over $21,000 for the RFDS, but incredibly, Laura herself clocked up over 30km of walking as part of the group’s marathon efforts. Not bad for a girl who was told she’d be lucky to ever walk again! But you only have to talk to Emily or any of Laura’s family members to know just what a fighter this young woman is. Every day, Laura’s hard work and determination comes shining through. And every day, this extraordinary young woman is getting stronger, faster and more focused. Laura may have her own, real-life army. But every day, she’s also conquering her own battles with courage and grace – by taking one determined step at a time.

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Operation Mitchell Plateau

Article supplied by RFS.  It was a team effort when the RFDS was called to retrieve a woman who broke her leg hiking in one of WA’s most hard-to-reach locations.

Dr Michael spliting a leg

It started with a frantic satellite phone call from the bush. A distressed woman contacted the RFDS to say she was part of a group who’d set off from the Mitchell Plateau in the Kimberley, planning to hike to the spectacular Mitchell Falls. Another woman in the group had slipped into a deep crevice between boulders, breaking her lower leg.

Reaching her was not going to be easy. The accident happened about a two-day walk from the closest airstrip, and the location was inaccessible by road or boat.

It was established that the hiker had a “tib-fib” fracture, where both bones in the lower leg are broken;  a serious injury that needs prompt medical attention.

These breaks are very painful and need to be splinted quite quickly to ensure good blood supply and that you will be able to save the leg

Dr Michael Leith

A crew made up of Dr Michael, Retrieval Nurse Cassie Gaff and pilot Bryn James flew to the Mitchell Plateau, landing on a dirt airstrip. They piled into a tourism helicopter that had room to fit a stretcher and set out to find the injured woman. Spotting the group of hikers in the rugged landscape felt like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack.

Hikers set up tents for visibility

“We were flying around and had to land every half hour to call her on the satellite phone because it was too loud on the helicopter to hear anything,” said Dr Michael. “The hikers tried to give us directions and co-ordinates, but unfortunately what they gave us wasn’t quite right.”

The group put up large yellow tarps to increase their visibility. Other helicopter pilots in the area were told to keep an eye out for them. The hikers were finally spotted perched on the side of a cliff.

The next challenge was finding a safe place to land the helicopter. It needed to be on the same side of the Mitchell River as the patient – the RFDS crew didn’t fancy a river-crossing in croc-infested waters. The closest place to land was about a kilometre from the patient – and the terrain was so treacherous it took an hour to reach her on foot.

When they reached the makeshift tarp tent, the hiker was in a lot of pain. Her pulse was faint and Dr Michael was concerned about a drop in blood supply to the lower part of her leg.

“Cassie and I got to work putting in intravenous lines and giving her pain relief, trying to keep her comfortable while we put her into traction and straightened her leg out,” he said. “In a hospital, patients would usually be sedated for that but it wasn’t possible in this setting and this lady was very stoic.”

Helicopter perched on Mitchell Plateau

Now faced with moving the injured woman to the helicopter, Dr Michael was assisted by his colleague Bryn, the helicopter pilot and others from the hiking group to carry the woman on a stretcher, up and down over boulders and through long, snake-infested grass.

“I could see the patient breathe a sigh of relief once we were in the air,” said Dr Michael. “We even got a nice scenic flight past Mitchell Falls on the way out which she really appreciated because she hadn’t made it to the waterfall on her walk.”

The woman was flown to Broome on the PC-12 aircraft and from there to hospital in Perth on the Rio Tinto PC-24 jet, where she underwent surgery.

The dramatic turn of events hasn’t turned the woman off hiking and she’s apparently eager to complete her Mitchell Falls adventure in the future.

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Royal Flying Doctor Service WA expands Medevac Service

Royal Flying Doctor Service WA expands Medevac Service

Article supplied by RFDS.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service Western Australia (RFDS WA) has expanded its aeromedical retrieval capabilities through a new partnership with PHI Aviation.

This collaboration extends RFDS WA’s offshore medevac services to support client operations in the Bonaparte Basin.

Key highlights of the expanded service:

  • A dedicated doctor and paramedic/nurse retrieval team stationed at PHI’s Darwin base.
  • The team provides rapid medical evacuations for critical cases in remote offshore areas, and search and rescue operations.
  • This builds on RFDS WA’s medical evacuation services from PHI’s Broome base.

The partnership with PHI strengthens RFDS WA’s position as a leader in remote healthcare, serving the world’s largest and most remote health jurisdiction. It also generates additional revenue through a profit-for-purpose model, supporting RFDS WA’s mission to provide vital medical services to our communities.

RFDS WA conducts over 10,000 aeromedical retrievals annually, and this extension enhances our capacity to save lives in even more remote locations. The collaboration with PHI Aviation opens doors for potential partnerships with other companies operating in the region, to further extend RFDS WA’s reach and impact.

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A day in the life with the Flying Doctor: Jessie’s bite-sized experience

A day in the life with the Flying Doctor: Jessie’s bite-sized experience

Article supplied by RFDS.

After spending a decade as a dental hygienist in a previous life, Jessie Burling was given the chance to go back to her roots with the RFDS Oral Health team.

As part of the RFDS’s national partnership with HCF, employee Jessie Burling won the unique opportunity through an internal competition at the not-for-profit health fund, joining the RFDS Oral Health team during a clinic in the remote town of Andamooka in Far North SA.

For Jessie, the experience with the RFDS was not just a professional milestone – it was a deeply personal journey, blending her passion for dental health and volunteer work in remote areas, including communities as far afield as Nepal, with her commitment to improving healthcare access in underserved regions.

HCF employee Jessie

Photo: RFDS national partner HCF’s Jessie Burling.

A personal journey into the outback

Jessie’s adventure began with a flight from Adelaide to Olympic Dam, before a short drive to Andamooka, a small outback town, located in Far North South Australia around 600 km north of Adelaide.

This is the journey the RFDS Oral Health team have to make, along with more than 350 kilograms of dental gear, when delivering care to remote communities like this.

Upon arrival, Jessie found the RFDS team busy setting up over 3,000 pieces of dental equipment, preparing to deliver much-needed care to local residents. For Jessie, who worked for 10 years as a dental hygienist, this was a rare opportunity to see the stark contrast between her role at HCF’s Bondi Junction dental clinic and the challenges faced by the RFDS team in the outback.

“When you’re living this far away from a city and you end up with an abscess or an infection in a tooth, that’s something that, if we weren’t coming in, could turn quite life-threatening,” of the RFDS SA/NT Senior Dentist and Manager Oral Health Program, Dr Vaibhav Garg said.

“We’re really focusing on prevention. There are direct links between oral health and other serious conditions like diabetes, cardiac health, and kidney disease. All of these issues can be challenging to manage in remote areas like this. Delivering these clinics is about taking care of the person as a whole, and therefore the whole community.”

RFDS Senior Dentist

Photo: Dr Vaibhav Garg with a patient in Andamooka.

The heart of community care

During her visit, Jessie also spent time with RFDS Remote Area Nurse Jack King, a familiar and trusted presence in Andamooka.

“The community knows that I’m a resident here and that speaks volumes to them,” Jack said.

“We live in an isolated environment, and our aim is to manage patients’ care as effectively as possible before they require non-urgent or non-life-threatening evacuation.

“It’s a real joy for me to come to work knowing that I can assess patients, get them seen by a doctor, and ensure they receive the comprehensive care they need.

“If we didn’t have funding including private sponsorship, those essential elements of primary health and wellbeing would go unfulfilled here.

“All of that is made possible by RFDS and the support we receive from partners like HCF. It’s pretty special.”

Remote Area Nurse Jack King

Photo: Remote Area Nurse Jack King.

A partnership making a difference

In support of HCF’s social mission to build healthier communities, HCF’s $3 million commitment over three years will help fund the upkeep of RFDS aircraft and life-saving technologies, ensuring the delivery of crucial primary healthcare and mental health services to every corner of Australia. The collaboration between RFDS and HCF is a tangible example of how partnerships can bring about real change.

RFDS SA/NT Executive General Manager, Strategy, Brand & Reputation, Charlie Paterson, highlighted the value of this synergy between the two not-for-profit organisations.

“HCF is all about providing the human touch to its healthcare, and that’s what RFDS is about.”

Jessie’s experience exposed her to the real-life impact of the partnership at work.

“It was an incredible and jam-packed 24 hours with the Royal Flying Doctor Service, seeing how they deliver medical interventions and preventative care to people out in the bush,” Jessie said.

“HCF and the Royal Flying Doctor Service have joined forces, combining their expertise to enhance healthcare access across Australia. Our shared focus on heart health, dental care, mental health, and women’s health are areas where we can make a significant difference together.”

Jessie and Vai

Photo: Andamooka is one of 14 remote communities where the RFDS Oral Health team visits regularly to deliver care.

Looking ahead

Jessie’s journey with the RFDS showcases the power of community and the difference that dedicated professionals and generous donors make every day.

“By doing what we do, day in and day out at HCF, we are part of an organisation that is bringing our human touch to healthcare,” Jessie said.

Through the support of donors and partners like HCF, the RFDS continues to be a lifeline for remote communities, ensuring that quality healthcare is accessible to all, no matter where they live.

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Murray began bleeding out internally, after he hit the handlebars of his motorcross bike

Article supplied by RFDS. 

Childhood sweethearts, Murray and Julie Collins, have been together for over thirty years.

And throughout their time together, they have shared an unusual passion – for the adrenalin charged sport of motorcross racing.

But back in 2003, the wheels very nearly came off Murray’s motorcross adventures, when a random miscalculation mid-race almost cost him his life.

In Episode #98 of the Flying Doctor podcast, Murray and Julie recount the day when an inter-club motorcross race at Longreach ended up with Murray being airlifted by the RFDS, suffering from major internal bleeding.

Murray Collins still races motorcross, even after his near-fatal accident in 2003

The sport of Motorcross combines high speed and jostling for a position on the track, with the challenge of obstacles.

There’s even an obstacle section known as a ‘whoops’ – which is basically a series of continuous bumps that racers can ride over, as fast as they like.

On the day of his accident, Murray recalls taking the ‘whoops’ with confidence – as he was in the leading pack of racers! But after hitting the handlebars of his bike at high speed, Murray quickly realised he had ‘really done something’. Murray had ruptured his mesenteric artery and began severely bleeding into his abdomen.

Kelly was heavily pregnant when she was diagnosed with a brain tumour

Article supplied by RFDS.

In 2002, as a fit country woman eagerly awaiting the birth of her first child, Kelly Foran believed her issues with balance and co-ordination were simply related to her ever-growing ‘baby belly’. But after going to the hospital with her husband for some tests, Kelly was told she was likely succumbing to pre-eclampsia. Then a visiting ED Doctor noticed Kelly stumbling in the hospital corridor, he asked her if he could ‘run a few more tests’.

Kelly's baby, Jake, was born shortly after she was diagnosed witha  brain tumour

The scans Kelly underwent that night revealed a possible aneurism was pressing onto her brain and was threatening the life of both herself and her unborn child. But just hours later, she was told that the mass in her brain was a the size of a ‘goose egg’, and was actually one of the largest brain tumours that her Doctor had ever seen. Kelly, with her husband Dave by her side, were transported by the RFDS for life-saving treatments – while her medical team co-ordinated how to safely deliver Kelly’s baby into the world.

Kelly's baby Jake was diagnosed with eye cancer

After Kelly’s son Jake was delivered safely, he experienced a range of medical complications. Meanwhile, Kelly was told that her brain tumour needed to be shrunk via steroids before any operation would be feasible. So Kelly and her newborn baby were ‘sent home’ to await further operations and updates, not knowing whether Kelly was even likely to survive. But Kelly’s family’s health challenges were only just beginning. After undergoing a 16 hour operation to remove her own tumour, just a few months later, her baby Jake was diagnosed with cancer of the eye.

Kelly has dedicated her life to helping others through her Friendly Faces, Helping Hands Foundation

In this remarkable and inspiring episode #97 of the Flying Doctor Podcast, Kelly bravely shares how both she and her young son fought hard to stay alive. And how her experiences as a rural patient inspired her to start the ‘Friendly Faces, Helping Hands Foundation’ – an organisation dedicated to helping country patients and their families to navigate the often daunting requirements of attending city-based medical treatments and appointments.

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RFDS to open its first permanent GP clinic in Kalgoorlie

RFDS to open its first permanent GP clinic in Kalgoorlie

Article supplied by RFDS.  The Royal Flying Doctor Service of Western Australia (RFDS WA) will open its first permanent GP clinic in Kalgoorlie in late 2024 to support the growing demand for primary health care in the Goldfields.

RFDS GP with patient

The establishment of the GP clinic is a key initiative in the RFDS WA’s 2024 – 2028 Strategy Above & Beyond and marks the beginning of a broader primary health care expansion for the RFDS, with plans to establish additional GP clinics in other regions across WA where it’s needed most.

The GP clinic in Kalgoorlie will complement the medical services already available to the Goldfields community.

A key feature of the clinic will be the involvement of allied health students who will work alongside GPs, providing a holistic health experience for patients. 

This model also offers regional training opportunities for the next generation of health care workers, encouraging them to remain in the regions where demand for medical care is greatest.

The new RFDS GP clinic is made possible with the support of Curtin University, the WA Country Health Service and Northern Star Resources. Further information about the clinic including the launch date, location and opening times will be available soon.

If you or someone you know is interested in working for the RFDS, please view our current vacancies.

RFDS WA Retrieval Nurse Beth with Northern Star

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Celebrating the past

RFDS celebrating past

Article supplied by RFDS

On 30 May 2024, the Flying Doctor family came together to take a step back in time to reflect on the year 1934 and celebrate the incredible drive and determination that would progress aviation and set the platform for what would become RFDS.

The evening was hosted by television presenter Michael Rowland, and featured the historical accounts of the extraordinary MacRobertson London to Melbourne Air Race as told by Australian entertainer and comedian Titus O’Reily. The magnificent Michelle Berner and the “Fresh Dancers” also appeared as a surprise musical performance during the night’s proceedings.

The year 1934 holds a special place for RFDS and all Victorians. In the middle of The Great Depression, the eyes of the world shifted to Melbourne as the destination for a groundbreaking air race, part of the Centenary Celebrations that aimed to unite the public and inspire hope. In that same year, in a back room of the Commercial Travellers’ Association on Flinders Street, Rev John Flynn and his dedicated team worked tirelessly to draft a constitution for a new organisation that would ultimately be known as the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

It was a premise that ran through the entire night, paying tribute to those who push through in challenging times to drive innovation for the future.

In keeping with this theme, retiring RFDS Victoria Chief Executive Scott Chapman AM was recognised for his lasting impact over the past 14 years. The wide range of RFDS Victoria’s current primary health services, along with patient transport by air and road, have all been instigated in Scott’s tenure; however, it is the personal stories from clients and families that truly explain his impact.

In addition to many dedicated donors and supporters, the dinner was well supported by numerous Members of Parliament, along with corporate partners, stakeholders and ambassadors. Thanks to their generous support, the gala dinner raised more than $100,000 through sponsorships, in-kind donations and fundraising activities on the night.

RFDS Victoria would like to particularly acknowledge APT Luxury Travel as the Principal Partner for the event. It was wonderful to celebrate the humble beginnings of both brands and we look forward to continuing to build on the relationship for the benefit of the communities we serve.

A big thank you is also extended to JBWere as Major Partner for the night, the second time they have supported the Going the Distance Dinner in such a meaningful way.

Additionally, we would also like to acknowledge our wonderful business partners for supporting this event – Biomedical Solutions, Delaware North, Oris and Oakdene Vineyards.

We would also like to thank all those individuals and organisations that donated items to our live and silent auctions, including:

  • Alba Thermal Springs
  • Allan and Shelley Green
  • APT Luxury Travel
  • Aesop
  • At Your Table
  • Delaware North
  • Elizabeth Hooley
  • Endota Spa
  • Geelong Football Club
  • Hawthorn Football Club
  • Hyatt Centric
  • Kakadu Traders Australia
  • LaManna
  • Love Athletica
  • Marriner Group
  • Melbourne and Olympic Parks
  • Melbourne Storm
  • Melbourne Victory Football Club
  • Nimbus & Co
  • Oris
  • Puffing Billy Railway
  • RACV City Club
  • SleepMaker
  • Starward Whisky
  • The National Golf Club
  • Verve Portraits

Finally, a very special thank you to Anthony Jaye Choreography, Michael Rowland, Michelle Berner, Kelvin Shelley, Peter Jones Special Events, and Titus O’Reily.

A photo from the 2024 RFDS Vic GTDD
A photo from the 2024 RFDS Vic GTDD
A photo from the 2024 RFDS Vic GTDD
A photo from the 2024 RFDS Vic GTDD
A photo from the 2024 RFDS Vic GTDD

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Ella was 35 weeks pregnant & driving an outback truck when her waters broke!

Ella was 35 weeks pregnant & driving an outback truck when her waters broke!

When transport company owners, Ella Reindler and her husband Dave, set out on ‘one last trucking trip’ from Perth to the remote Kimberley, they knew it would likely be their last road trip together as a couple, before their new baby arrived.

But neither of them expected that, at just 35 weeks pregnant, Ella’s waters would break in the middle of nowhere and hundreds of kilometres away from the nearest hospital.

Both Ella and Dave are extremely experienced outback travellers, regularly driving thousands of kilometres across some of the remotest parts of WA and often camping in isolated outback locations for weeks at a time.

But when this hard-working young couple realised their baby had decided to arrive prematurely on the road between Halls Creek and Warmun, neither of them felt particularly prepared

Ella holding baby Lucas in front of prime mover truck.

In this extraordinary Episode #88 of the Flying Doctor podcast, Ella recounts how – with Dave exhausted after 15 hours of driving – she climbed into the driver’s seat and headed for Kununurra Hospital.

Given the baby’s premature gestation, Ella was soon loaded onto an RFDS flight to Broome.

But Dave (you guessed it) hopped back into their truck and drove another1000km plus, to help welcome a healthy baby Lucas into the world.

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Link to RFDS Podcast – #88 Ella was 35 weeks pregnant & driving an outback truck when her waters broke!

Meet the Flying Doctor’s female pilots

Meet the flying doctor's female pilots

Article supplied by RFDS Every March, Women of Aviation Worldwide Week is held in recognition of French Aviator Raymonde de Laroche becoming the first woman to be issued a flying licence on 8 March 1910.

The RFDS is proud of the women on our aviation team who followed in the footsteps of Raymonde de Laroche.

For the RFDS, Women of Aviation Worldwide Week marks an important opportunity to highlight the valuable contributions made by the women in our aviation teams, and to encourage more women and girls to consider a career in aviation.

To mark the week, we reached out to our five female pilots at RFDS SA/NT to ask them what their job means to them. Here’s what they said...

RFDS Pilot Heather Ford

Heather Ford – Pilot/Training & Checking Coordinator, Adelaide Base

“I know celebrating five female pilots in RFDS SA/NT may sound cheesy or corny, however it is a major achievement for the organisation to be proud of. Aviation can be quite challenging, especially as there have been a lot of opinions and behaviours formed in the 60s and 70s. These industry norms have slowly changed over my career in aviation, and I look forward to seeing it completely change in the not-to-distant future… Given that the industry figure worldwide is approximately five to six per cent, we are a minority. It is essential to promote the number of lady pilots that the RFDS has, for many reasons, but my main one is so that the young girls can see they can be pilots, astronauts, engineers, doctors and they can start imagining themselves in those positions and make it a reality.”


RFDS Pilot Jessica Dettmer

Jessica Dettmer – Pilot, Adelaide Base

“It’s been my childhood dream to come work for the RFDS and I am extremely grateful to now work along such dedicated, knowledgeable, and experienced flight and medical crews. Digging into the aeromedical side has been a fresh yet rewarding challenge for me and I enjoy how every day is something new. I also love the balance of living in the city, but still having chance to venture outback. Each day I am part of a team to improve care and enhance the lives of those who need it most, and that’s incredibly fulfilling.”


RFDS Pilot Kellie Job

Kellie Job – Pilot, Alice Springs Base

“I’ve been an aeromedical pilot for six years and am still privileged to be a part of people’s stories. We only see people for a small part of what in many cases is a long journey to recovery for them and their families, but being part of an amazing team that puts so much care into caring for our patients for that brief period of time to try and make their journey that little bit easier is what being a part of the RFDS means to me.”


RFDS Pilot Laura Koerbin

Laura Koerbin – Pilot, Adelaide Base

“Flying for the RFDS is meaningful to me as it allows me to feel deeply rewarded by the work I do every day. I’m thankful on the daily to be able to work with such a talented and like-minded team of experts, delivering 24/7 care to all corners of the state. Working for the RFDS means I am excited to come to work every day and see first-hand the impact my role can have on someone’s life. I wanted to work for the RFDS as a means of giving back to the community and it’s so rewarding and meaningful to me to be able to see that happening with every job. This is a role that pushes me to keep challenging myself, to be flexible and adaptable, and to always be learning from the people I work with. It’s my dream job and I’m very lucky to love what I do.”


RFDS Pilot Ellie Gray

Ellie Gray – Pilot, Alice Springs Base

“I’m passionate about service to the community, especially rural and remote communities, and I love flying. The RFDS brings everything together in a strong and professional organisation, with an inspiring legacy. I’m proud to serve my community as part of the RFDS.”

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