Judy’s Wish was to visit Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary with her family
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary has long been an icon of Brisbane, with visitors attracted to the picture-perfect reserve in the hope of creating forever memories as they encounter members of Australia’s unique wildlife.
For Judy, an avid birdwatcher and lover of nature, Lone Pine was the perfect place for her to create forever memories for her husband Don, daughter Louise and son-in-law Phil, son Chris and fiancée Steph, and support person Siobhan.
But as with any Ambulance Wish, the first animal encounter is always with our furry little mascot Kees, our wish bear, who Judy touchingly renamed Jess in honour of one of her doctors at the Wesley Hospital.
Armed with a long list of animals to meet (word repeated from above), the family headed to Lone Pine on a stunning spring morning, where the only thing brighter than the Brisbane sunshine was the family’s smiles.
Top of the list were the Koalas followed by the birds, an absolute favourite of Judy and Don. Kangaroos and more we to follow, with Judy insisting that only the crocodiles, despite their welcoming smiles, were given a wide berth.
As the day progressed, seeing how much a day spent with family meant to Judy was clear. The birds and animals were a fantastic supporting cast, but for Judy, today was all about family, about sharing their love, spending quality time together and taking a day to do something that truly mattered to them.
Family was also the driving force behind Judy’s determination to go to Lone Pine; as revealed by Louise, “Mum revealed another reason to me yesterday as to why she always wanted to go to Lone Pine. This was her SMS to me:
“This is the photo of Helen (Judy’s sister) when Mum and Dad took her there when she was around 7-9 yrs old. This photo is the very reason I have always wanted to go myself.”
This makes Tuesday even more awesome for us all, that mum will get to create this memory herself.”
We are all delighted to have helped Judy realise a wish that has been in the making for a lifetime.And dreams did come true as Judy cuddled up to Morris the Koala, finally achieving her ambition to match her sister, Helen. She also had the opportunity to get up close and personal with Black Macaw Mallee, Dingoes Jindy and Stirling, Barking Owl Bo, who landed on her arm, Barn Owl Tato, Platypus Barrett, and a yet to be named but adorable 1-week old lamb.
Thank you to John, Natasha and Richard the wish team who fulfilled the wish, and The Wesley Hospital and Maple & Ochre Photography for their support. We would particularly like to thank the entire team at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary for making Judy’s Wish come true, in particular Akane, who was the most gracious and welcoming host and made everything possible.
Ambulance Wish Queensland is proudly supported by the Queensland Government, and we thank the staff and volunteers at both Queensland Health and Queensland Ambulance Service who help our Palliative Care Queensland team to fulfil wishes and create memories forever.
