Chopper
Appeal

Critical Care Paramedic Kath has a passion for paediatric medicine – and her skills have been given a boost thanks to the Jerry Charters Scholarship for Aeromedical Advancement.

Kath is the first scholarship recipient, receiving funding to attend a Paediatric Advanced Life Support course.

“𝗧𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀, 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲. 𝗜’𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀." 𝗞𝗮𝘁𝗵

Jerry Charters, a retired marine engineer and Lyttelton local, left a gift in his will to the Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust. That gift is the foundation funding for the scholarship in his name.

Kath recently shared experiences from the course with rescue helicopter supporters, who were interested to hear first-hand the difference a gift in will can make.

Find out more about Jerry Charters legacy and Kath’s training here: https://www.airrescue.co.nz/stories/first-scholarship-recipient-announced/

Or see the Crew Stories link in our Linktree

It`s an Adrian Appreciation post - and a HUGE congratulations at the same time!

Why? Adrian has just passed his final exams to be a Critical Care Paramedic and we couldn`t be prouder.

Adrian has been on quite a journey to achieve this milestone. In 2007, a car crash left his baby daughter with injuries that were barely survivable. Watching the flight paramedics save his daughter inspired Adrian. He wanted to become one of them.

Adrian joined the Westpac Rescue Helicopter in 2023 as a paramedic, working alongside the very crew that saved his own family.

You may have seen Adrian over the years on the news or in our publications speaking about his journey in support of the rescue helicopters and the Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust.

Adrian - while being busy with your job and your studies, you`ve always had time to support the Trust - sharing your story, taking part in events, and even using your skills as a former chef to cook dinners as auction prizes.

We appreciate all you do to support the Trust and the incredible work you do on the Canterbury Westpac Rescue Helicopter.

Thank you - and congratulations!

www.airrescue.co.nz

These girls have had a bumpy ride - but thanks to the Westpac Rescue Helicopter and our sister service, the New Zealand Flying Doctor Service, they`re home.

Lilly and Penny Eades were born prematurely in Dunedin Hospital. Mum Sarah was flown there by the NZ Flying Doctor Service as there was no room in Christchurch`s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

The family eventually got back to Christchurch - with twin Lilly flown on the Westpac Rescue Helicopter and sister Penny on the NZ Flying Doctor Service two weeks later.

“𝗜𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮 𝗯𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘆 𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝗣𝗲𝗻𝗻𝘆 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱, 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁, 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗼 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹.”

Like the rescue helicopters, the New Zealand Flying Doctor Service is a 24/7 service. We`re proud to work together to provide critical care in the air when patients need it the most.

Read Sarah`s story here: https://www.airrescue.co.nz/stories/three-flights-two-services-and-a-family-reunited

Or see Patient Stories on our Linktree

What an amazing selection of photographs we received for the H145 photo competition earlier this year.
We are incredibly grateful to all who send their images through but there can only be two winners (because we loved them both).

Congratulations to Tim Ward (photo 1) and Mikayla Blackmore (photo 2), there are some Air Rescue goodies here for you and your pictures are beautifully displayed on our new banners.

We`ll post the other photos we received later this week. Please keep them coming though if you spot our helicopters out an about round the region or if you pop onto base and take some shots here.