The NSW Ambulance Media Unit produces about 25 proactive media stories a month. Many are “reunites” – stories which bring patients together with the paramedics whose critical interventions have saved their lives.
Young father Sean Sudholz came off his motorbike into a tree south of Wagga Wagga in November 2020.
Even two years later, the Rescue Paramedic who responded to the job, Mick Cooke, can recall the seriousness of the accident.
“He was suffering pretty significant leg injuries,” Mick told Prime Seven News, when he met Sean in a media opportunity arranged by the NSW Ambulance Media Unit.
Sean’s right leg was amputated and he’s since undergone 18 months of rehabilitation.
Having survived the accident, Sean has now set his sights on taking part in the Paralympics.
“Without them (the first responders) I’d be dead… I’m more grateful than words can ever describe,” Sean told local Riverina media outlets.
Mick Cooke and Murrumbidgee Zone Duty Operations Manager Inspector Eamonn Purcell met Sean in October in what’s known in media circles as a ‘reunite’.
“The human interest stories in ‘reunites’ highlight the amazing life-saving work that our call-takers, paramedics, doctors and nurses perform on a daily basis,” NSW Ambulance’s Associate Director, Media Kate Benson said.
“Often, they also allow us to highlight timely public health messages.”
Early effective bystander CPR has been the theme of several recent reunites facilitated by the Ambulance Media Unit.
Dr Marcus Rodrigs went into cardiac arrest and stopped breathing at a Newcastle bowling club in April.
When Dr Rodrigs met the paramedics who resuscitated him six months later, Intensive Care Paramedic Trent Crosdale was able to tell the Newcastle Herald:
“…to have people there as quickly as possible, including people who attempted bystander CPR, gave him the best chance of survival.”
Proactive media stories have been a particular focus for Kate Benson since she started in her role in July.
“The Ambulance Media Unit is now staffed with a full team of Media Officers, who are very experienced at producing reunite stories within mainstream media,” Kate said.
These stories are second nature to NSW Ambulance Media Manager Grace Fitzgibbon, who filed a number of reunite stories as a television reporter with Nine TV News in Sydney.
“The meetings are always really emotional and the stories patients tell us are so heartfelt,” Grace said.
“It’s incredibly affirming for the paramedics involved too. When they meet face-to-face with people whose lives they’ve saved, it’s a powerful reminder of why paramedics are inspired to do the work they do.”