The compassion of our youth and finding meaning in moments that matter.
For National Youth Volunteer Week, Ambulance Wish Queensland (AWQ) is celebrating the young volunteers who give their time, energy and compassion to help fulfil meaningful moments for patients and their families.
It’s an opportunity to recognise the contribution of young volunteers and the difference they make in their communities. For Ambulance Wish Queensland volunteer and paramedicine student Madissen, volunteering with AWQ is a way to bring compassion, connection and moments of joy to people and their families during a difficult time in their lives.
For Madissen, palliative care is much more than managing an illness. It’s about dignity, compassion and connection.
“To me, palliative care is ensuring that every person feels valued and supported through the most vulnerable moments of their life — focusing on comfort and humanity rather than illness.”
Her passion for supporting people with dignity, compassion and connection is also what drew her to study paramedicine.
“I chose Paramedicine because I’ve always been drawn to helping people in moments that truly matter.”
“It’s a profession built on compassion, quick thinking, and human connection — being there for someone when they’re most vulnerable.”
Through AWQ, Madissen has found another way to put these values into practice and perspective. She describes it as wanting to be part of something that could bring light to a person’s final days, giving Queenslanders the chance to experience joy and fulfilment while creating moments that can be shared with the people closest to them.
“Being part of that journey reminds me how powerful simple moments of happiness can be.”
One wish in particular demonstrated what these experiences mean to Queenslanders and highlighted the importance of joy and connection through special moments with family.
“Troy’s Wish will always stay with me. Watching him and his daughters laugh and play at South Bank after their river cruise was incredibly moving. It was a day filled with love, laughter, and peace — a reminder of how meaningful these experiences are for families.”
For young volunteers like Madissen, these wish experiences demonstrate the impact that giving your time can have, not only just for the person receiving support, but also for their family, friends, carers and even for those who help make the wish possible.
This National Youth Volunteer week, we thank Madissen and celebrate the extraordinary youth volunteers like her who choose to give their time to make these magical moments possible, creating lasting memories for Queenslanders and the people who matter most to them.
