Mission stories
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Meet Hugo from Blenheim
When mum-to-be Jess’s water broke two months earlier than expected, none of the local hospitals were equipped for such an early birth. Thanks to you, our air ambulance plane was ready at a moment's notice.
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Meet Nicky from Carterton
Despite the cardiac arrest that left Nicky with memory loss and a pacemaker, she’s thankful to come out of it with her life.
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Meet Harrison from Wellington
Harrison has been a fighter since birth. He defied all odds in surviving a severe brain bleed when born. Unfortunately, it wasn’t his last fight.
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Meet Lee from Auckland
Lee, an experienced horserider, was enjoying a day out at a friends farm in Masterton. Shortly after, she was speeding to Wellington Hospital in the Westpac Rescue Helicopter.
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In memory of August
Baby August was a happy, cheeky, and brave boy that touched many hearts in his fourteen months on earth. Thank you to his parents, Ursula and Jake, for sharing their story.
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Meet Ewen from Masterton
Wairarapa local Ewen woke suddenly in his bed. His arms were numb, his body cold and clammy. He was having a massive heart attack.
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Meet Taylor from Nelson
Baby Taylor had a dramatic start to life; born prematurely in Nelson, she suffered a collapsed lung. Life Flight's Air Ambulance plane was ready.
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Meet Andrew from Wairarapa
Forty years ago, a seriously injured Andrew was flown from remote Wairarapa bush by Peter Button. Decades later, he needed the Westpac Chopper once more.
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Kaikōura Water Rescue
The Westpac Rescue Helicopter team winches three people off a boat near Kaikōura. No power and battling high waves, the boat sank five minutes later.
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Meet Charlotte and Eleanor from Palmerston North
A routine ultrasound for Mum-to-be Rebekah had a different outcome than expected...
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Meet Bill from Pelorus Sounds
Living in a remote part of the country, Bill understands the need for Life Flight more than anyone.
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Meet Bentley from Kāpiti
What should have been a moment of joy quickly turned into distress when newborn Bentley didn’t respond as normal.
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Meet Pat from Kāpiti
A walk on a friend's farm quickly took a turn for 85-year-old grandmother, Pat.
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Meet Tilly from Upper Hutt
When two-year-old Tilly's blood test showed an abnormal result, her mum decided to Google what that meant. The first thing that came up was leukaemia.
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Meet Jarrod from Wairarapa
It was a wet day at work for Jarrod, who was driving along the rugged Mount Bruce landscape when suddenly he found himself rolling down a steep, grassy hill.
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Meet Kaz from Kāpiti
As Kaz lay in agony in the Maungakotukutuku hills with life-threatening injuries, the sound of the whirring blades of the Westpac Chopper gave her hope.
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Meet Santiago from Wellington
Kylie, her husband Fede and their two children went for a Sunday hike in the Remutaka Forest Park when disaster struck.
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Meet Alice from Paraparaumu
Alice was winched from the Paraparaumu bush after a severe fall.
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Meet Waylon from Clyde
When newborn Waylon started losing consciousness, an Air Ambulance Plane was quickly dispatched to get him to Wellington Hospital.
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Meet Zachariah from Palmerston North
Being helped by a manual oxygen pump, premature baby Zachariah needed to get to Wellington Hospital fast.
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Meet Pip from Fielding
Thanks to your support, Pip was able to recover from a brain aneurysm, a condition that has a 60% survival rate.
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Meet Stefan from Wairarapa
A routine tonsillectomy turned into an emergency transfer from Masterton to Wellington for four-year-old Stefan, his mum, and baby sister.
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Meet Lincoln from Upper Hutt
Floating alone, freezing, 300 metres off the coast - Lincoln grew weaker by the second.
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Meet Abby and Hunter from Nelson
Your kind donations help worried mothers like Katrina get their children the urgent specialist care they need.
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Meet Joe from the Wairarapa
When Joe broke his leg in the Aorangi Forest Park with night quickly approaching, he was thankful to have a personal location beacon on hand.
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Meet Avitaj from Kāpiti
After a blissful nine months of eagerly waiting to become a Dad, Dilpreet’s life suddenly turned upside down when the doctor warned him he may lose his baby.
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Meet Ethan from Nelson
Twenty-eight weeks pregnant, Tracy had no idea her life was in danger when she was rushed to Nelson Hospital after her midwife spotted potentially fatal symptoms.
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Meet Indianna from Whanganui
Indianna was born with congenital heart disease hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Her mum, Carmen, shares her story.
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Meet Colin from Blenheim
Colin Tandy barely clung to life after his truck rolled 80 metres down a Marlborough cliff.
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Meet Lily from Wellington
Our Air Ambulance Plane provided safe transport for New Zealand's youngest receiver of a new heart.
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Meet Katie-Jane from Upper Hutt
After a devastating motorbike crash in the Wairarapa, Katie Jane was flown to Wellington Hospital – but the care she received didn’t end with that flight.
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Meet Matese from Lower Hutt
5-week-old Matese needed a life-saving flight in our Air Ambulance Plane to Starship Children's Hospital.
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Meet Richard from Cape Palliser
Our Westpac Chopper was able to provide Richard with a lifeline when his yacht became uncontrollable.