You can contribute to a safer community for all South Australians

Appeal Tracker

HOW MUCH WOULD YOU LIKE TO DONATE?

$30

Provides a welcome pack with training resources for new volunteers.

$100

Contributes to a training uniform for a new volunteer.

$200

Puts a new volunteer through a first aid training course.

Any amount helps us support your community.

AUD

YOUR DONATION SUPPORTS

State Emergency Response

We provide volunteers and equipment to respond to natural disasters and state emergencies.

First Aid in Schools Program

We provide free first aid training to South Australian primary school children.

Volunteer Programs

Provide training and equipment for our volunteers to support the South Australian community.

Ophthalmic Services

Supporting Australian and international eye health initiatives for under-privileged communities and refugees.

HOW OFTEN WOULD YOU LIKE TO DONATE?

Lachy never thought that his life would be in the hands of St John volunteers.

Imagine being 14 years old; it’s a pupil free day from school and you’re full of endless energy. You have just caught up with your friends to play basketball and you’re now on your way home. You start to feel light headed, your world fading to black. You hear murmured voices, and see vague green uniforms surrounding you. This was the terrifying reality for Lachy, a teenage boy who was found unconscious, lying by the gutter on the side of a busy road by St John Ambulance SA volunteers. They were in the right place, at the right time.

“He’s 14, so he thinks he is invincible, but not this time,” Lachy’s mother, Amanda said.

I wish to personally thank you, for enabling St John Ambulance volunteers to be proactive in our community for South Australians like Lachy. Our volunteers provide high quality health and medical services at events around the state, confronting life-threatening circumstances like Lachy’s. As a charity, the crucial training and medical equipment for St John volunteers are made possible through the generosity of donors like yourself.

Amanda remembers it like it was yesterday; it was a pupil-free day and her son, Lachy, had a plan: to head out with some mates for a game or two of basketball in Mitchell Park. She made sure he knew the train route to take, had some food, and a bit of cash on him—everything seemed totally fine.

Lachy was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was just two years old – something that Amanda had become all too familiar with. She kept her son’s disease under control with a Bluetooth monitoring system installed on her mobile phone. As the afternoon of the pupil-free day wore on, Amanda noticed Lachy’s sugar levels hovering between 4-5mmol/L – lower than normal, however it didn’t immediately cause any panic. Not being completely out of the ordinary, she continued about her day and periodically checked the monitoring system. Towards the end of the day when Amanda expected Lachy to be heading home, she noticed his blood sugar level was dipping lower, between 3.5 – 4.5mmol/L. She sent Lachy a message saying: ‘hope you’re home and getting some carbohydrates in now’.

“It’s not an easy disease to live with for a teenager who is very active and independent and even harder for his parents!” Amanda sai

Amanda was on the train on her way home from work when she received two phone calls from a number she didn’t recognise. She dismissed the calls, until a third successive call came through – this time from Lachy’s number.

It wasn’t Lachy on the other end of the phone though. It was a paramedic who had been called by St John volunteers who found Lachy laying face-down in a gutter, alone, about one kilometre from his home. Amanda’s heart immediately sank. The paramedic explained that St John volunteers noticed Lachy as they were passing by and swiftly intervened. Lachy’s head felt fuzzy from the incident, uncertain of his surroundings. However, the St John volunteers, quick on their feet, knew precisely what steps to take and promptly provided Lachy with much needed assistance.

 

St John Ambulance South Australia crew posing in front of Adelaide Oval

 

Lachy had never experienced a hypoglycaemic emergency alone before. With assistance from glucose gels and medication, he regained his consciousness.

“The paramedic said it was lucky that St John volunteers were there and did what they did to help. Lachy was in the right place, at the right time... it was a good thing he got off at that bus stop, otherwise they wouldn’t have been there to assist him,” Amanda commented.

Lachy remembers getting on the train to come home but doesn’t recall the subsequent fateful bus trip that resulted in his hypoglycaemic attack. As he collapsed to the ground, Lachy hit his eye and shoulder. He was taken to hospital, where it was found he had ketones in his blood. This is a medical emergency that requires urgent treatment and can be life-threatening.

Lachy received the necessary treatment and recovered from this frightening incident. Lachy and his parents put in additional reinforcements for when he is out and about by himself – he now carries new glucose gels, sultanas, and additional food at all times to prevent a diabetic emergency happening again. This incident was a stark reminder of the unpredictable nature of diabetes, and why your support of St John volunteers is crucial to our community.

“I don’t remember anything at the time of what happened, but looking back now, I don’t know if I’d be alive now if they didn’t come past at that time,” Lachy said.Lachy with his mum, Amanda

 

Consider the potential outcome had St John volunteers not been there to respond swiftly. Type 1 diabetes can be a life-threatening condition and requires quick action when someone like Lachy is experiencing a diabetic emergency. A generous contribution today can ensure our volunteers can be there when the community needs them most. Your donation will make a real impact in our community and is vital to keep South Australians like Lachy safe.

For Lachy and Amanda, that fateful pupil-free day started out just like any other day, but quickly turned into a reminder that the need for help can arise unexpectedly. There are more than 130,000 Australians living with type 1 diabetes. It is not caused by lifestyle factors and there is no known cause or cure for the disease. For Lachy, a young teen dealing with type 1 diabetes, the reality is stark. It affects over 13,200 children and young adults aged 0-19 in Australia.

In critical moments like this one that Lachy experienced, and for others facing similar circumstances, the generosity of donors like yourself can be the beacon of hope they need. Your support has helped St John volunteers save countless lives. Will you stand together with us once again to support our volunteers?

“I thank them [St John volunteers] from the bottom of my heart, as they saved his life and kept him safe,” Lachy’s mother said

Could you kindly consider giving a tax-deductible charitable donation, whether it's a small amount or a profoundly generous gift? Your kind gift will enable us to train more St John volunteers in crucial lifesaving skills and provide them with the necessary medical equipment to respond in an emergency. Together, let's ensure that St John Ambulance SA stands ready to be there when South Australians need us most.

We understand times are tough at the moment, but any amount, big or small, can make the difference between a life lost and a life saved. Your kindness and generosity are so appreciated and make a real difference in the lives of people like young Lachy.

Thank you in advance for supporting the South Australian community. Your help does not go unnoticed.

With sincere thanks,

CEO Mark Groot, St John Ambulance SA (signature)

Mark Groote
Chief Executive Officer
St John Ambulance SA