Volunteer Profile – Abbey Robinson
Name: Abbey Robinson
Occupation: Student Paramedic
What does Palliative Care mean to you?
Palliative care is an extremely important aspect of healthcare that has a lasting impact on palliative patients and their families. I believe that providing patients with compassion, and addressing their spiritual, emotional and psychological wellbeing is just as important as their physical health during this incredibly vulnerable time.
Why did you choose to volunteer with Ambulance Wish Queensland?
When I stumbled across Ambulance Wish Queensland, I immediately knew it was something I wanted to be a part of. I knew I wanted to be a part of the positive impact that AWQ has on the palliative community, and I have found myself to also have benefited in the form of having a better understanding of and connection to palliative care.
How do you see Ambulance Wish Queensland in the community?
Ambulance Wish Queensland is a vital part of the community, providing unique experiences that are tailored to each individual patient, going beyond traditional healthcare. It bridges the gap between the emotional and physical well-being of palliative care patients, which is extremely important and can be overlooked sometimes.
How do you see Ambulance Wish Queensland impacting Wish Recipient’s and their friends and family?
Seeing the joy that comes with each wish is why I do it. AWQ wishes are often the last time that a family can come together and do something fun with their loved one. For the patient, it gives them a chance to do something that they either miss or have always wanted to do. This helps restore their dignity, as palliative care is a very vulnerable experience for a lot of patients. For families or friends, it creates lasting memories, provides closure and offers moments of peace and shared joy in what might be a time of sadness.
Do you have any key memories of a Wish you have been on?
A key memory from a wish for me was a wish where we took a patient to SeaWorld to see the dolphins. The wish itself was an amazing experience, but something that stuck with me was the patient giving me a hug and thanking me when the wish was over. Seeing first hand the impact that this program really has on palliative patients was very rewarding and I am very grateful to have been a part of that wish. 🚑❤️🦋
