FORMER Quandialla resident Michelle Dowsett says she is “enjoying the greatest gift there is, life” due to the Royal Flying Doctors Service.
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“How can you ever repay someone for your life, you can’t,” Michelle said.
But her students at Blayney High School are so grateful they are raising funds for the Royal Flying Doctors Service.
The school’s Student Representative Council is running a number of fundraising events to raise money towards a donation to the Flying Doctors.
First on their list of fundraisers is a crazy hair/hat day, a barbecue and a concert afternoon on Friday, July 24.
Fundraising for the Flying Doctors service came about after Michelle featured in a recent promotion for the Flying Doctors organisation.
Michelle had been a patient of the service following a life threatening farm accident a number of years ago.
The promotion can be seen online at donatese.flyingdoctor.org.au/michelle
“Every day I open my eyes and think wow, I’m alive, even if I have a crap day,” Michelle says in the video.
“I’ve got those Flying Doctors to thank for that.
“If it wasn’t for the Flying Doctors who came and helped me I wouldn’t have Emma, my miracle child.”
Michelle was 13 weeks pregnant with Emma at the time of her accident on the family grain farm near Quandialla.
The day of the accident Michelle explained she wasn’t supposed to be anywhere near the grain loading area but had been asked to lend a hand.
When turning off machinery her hair became caught in a grain auger and she was completely scalped.
She was taken to West Wyalong Hospital where no-one had ever seen such an injury before and when the Royal Flying Doctors became involved Michelle said “the whole atmosphere changed”.
“They were honest with me and said what do you want us to do, and I said get me home, just get me home,” Michelle said.
“There’s lot of farming accidents every day and if the Flying Doctors weren’t there and I couldn’t get the specialist medical treatment I needed, my children wouldn’t have a mum and I wouldn’t be enjoying the greatest gift there is, life.”
School principal Ms Sue Jones said the school would also like to run a raffle over the long term with a draw being held at the school’s major performing arts night “Showcase” on Thursday, August 20.
The school is looking for any donation towards a prize pool for the raffle.
All donations will be recognised in the school’s newsletter and in promotional posters.
