Marilyn’s wish was to visit the Strand Rockpool and dip her toes in the water
There is something about us Queenslanders that draws us to the beautiful beaches that stretch along the coast of the Sunshine State, and for her Ambulance Wish, Marilyn wanted to do what so many of us do each weekend; see the ocean, dip her toes in the water and feel the sand beneath her feet.
On a lovely Townsville day, Marilyn was joined by her husband, Carl, daughter Robyn, sons Matthew and Mark and 8-year-old grandson Thorin for a trip to the Rockpool. Sadly, Marilyn’s mobility has suffered in recent weeks, and she could not walk to the ocean, but that didn’t mean her wish could not come true. Our wonderful volunteers Shannon, and Jamie and clinical escort, Townsville University Hospital’s Karen, sprang into action. If we can’t take Marilyn to the ocean, let’s bring the ocean to Marilyn. Grabbing a bucket, they quickly filled it with golden sand so Marilyn could feel the sand between her fingers. They then scooped up some sparking blue water, tipping it over her feet so that she could dip her toes into the waters she loves.
As can be seen from the pictures, the simplest wishes, which we can all appreciate, create the most profound moments of joy, filling the memory banks of Marilyn and her family with precious moments that will last a lifetime.
As a nurse for over 50 years, thank you Marilyn for everything you did during your time as a member of Queensland’s community of care; we are thrilled to have made your Wish come true and created forever memories for you and your loved ones.
Thank you to Shannon, Jamie and Karen who delivered Marilyn’s wish and Townsville University Hospital Palliative Care Unit and Josephine Carter Photography for their support.
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.
We would also like to thank our SEQ Hub Local Supporting partner GQS (https://gqs.com.au/) for their support of Ambulance Wish Queensland’s South-East Queensland hub.
