About Us
We are the only emergency ambulance service in greater Wellington and the Wairarapa, and the only ones in the country who are free.
We are the only emergency ambulance service in greater Wellington and the Wairarapa, and the only ones in the country who are free.
What we doOur news
‘Your daughter is having a seizure, and we’ve called for an ambulance.’
‘Your daughter is having a seizure, and we’ve called for an ambulance.’
07 February 2019
As parents, we do everything we can to keep our children safe from harm. But even when we do all the right things, we can’t protect them from everything. When something happens to them, it’s the worst feeling imaginable.
Darren and Louise went through that awful experience again and again last year when their two-year-old daughter Maddy needed an ambulance three times. Each time the situation was different, each time what the family needed was different. But every time, we were there for them.
The first time Maddy needed us, she was at daycare. Mum Louise got the call that every parent dreads:
‘Your daughter is having a seizure, and we’ve called for an ambulance.’
Louise got to daycare as quickly as possible to be with Maddy. When she arrived, Paramedics were treating Maddy and preparing to transport her to hospital.
You can imagine the relief Louise felt when Paramedics told her that Maddy would be okay. We were there for Maddy with the medical treatment she needed. We were also there for Darren and Louise with support and reassurance. How we help is as individual as the people we are helping. We may help you over the phone, we may treat you at home, or we might need to transport you to hospital – it’s about the right care for you.
Louise hoped that she would never need an ambulance for Maddy again – but Maddy went on to need an ambulance twice more in just one year.
Read Louise’s story in her own words as she discusses what happened to her family in that difficult year, and the extra care our Paramedics gave to her and her family.
When we met with them recently, we asked Darren and Louise what gives them the confidence that Wellington Free Ambulance can help them. Darren replied simply, ‘The experiences we’ve had. The Paramedics were fantastic every time.’ Louise said, ‘The people at Wellington Free are experts, and I absolutely trust them.’
Louise and Darren hope that they don’t need us again, but every day hundreds of families find themselves needing our support.
We have to be ready every single day, because we know that somewhere, someone like Maddy will need our help.
We want every parent, every family, every person in our community to know what Darren and Louise know – that we will be here for you when you need us, with the right care each time.
To help more people like Maddy and her family, visit our donation page.