About Us

The end of a girls’ weekend away quickly turned into something serious for Ashleigh. 

Car parked, walking down the driveway, she had just got home and was preparing to unpack her bags when she was suddenly struck with a sharp pain in her chest.

“I felt really short of breath and nauseous. I had a weird feeling and wasn’t sure what it was, I thought I was carsick from the drive over the Remutakas. I didn’t think much of it, carried on and started unpacking my bag, and then the same thing happened again where I felt really sick, clammy and my chest hurt,” Ashleigh recalls. 

This random attack of chest pain occurred again just 10 minutes later. And again, and again. 

“My chest just started to feel a lot tighter, and you start to panic and think, ‘I cannot breathe properly’. It was a stabbing, heightening pain that would come and go in waves,” Ashleigh says. 

She was shaky, slow, white and clammy. With no sign of it easing, Ashleigh knew she needed to seek medical help - and quickly. Living close to a hospital, and with her flatmate on hand to help, Ashleigh was quickly driven to nearby Kenepuru Hospital. 

After being seen by several nurses, undergoing multiple tests and being connected to an ECG (electrocardiogram) machine to check her heart rhythm, there was still no sign of what was causing Ashleigh’s condition. 

“They told me, ‘There’s not much more we can do here, so we’re going to arrange for the ambulance to transfer you through to Wellington Hospital.’” 

Reassurance and care with our Emergency Ambulance Service

From there, Ashleigh was in the safe hands of Wellington Free Ambulance’s Emergency Ambulance Service team.

What stood out the most to her over that 25-kilometre journey was the reassurance and care she received. 

“They were so comforting, really assuring and friendly. I felt safe and that they were doing the best they could. The pain I was in was coming and going, where I would have moments of being fine and then in incredible pain – they put me at ease and told me that everything was going to be okay and that, ‘we’re getting you to people who can help you.’”

In moments of uncertainty and fear, the paramedics' calming presence put Ashleigh at ease. 

“They had conversations with me and made it feel as normal as possible which is the most important thing. Because I didn’t know what was going on, I’ve never experienced this with my health before,” she explains. 

The team kept Ashleigh informed every step of the way – from when they were going around the corner, to when they expected to arrive at Wellington Hospital, and what would happen next. 

Pulling up to the ambulance bay, and being wheeled into Wellington Hospital’s Emergency Department, Ashleigh’s treatment was handed over to the hospital team. 

Ashleigh’s road to recovery 

After more specialist tests, including a CT scan and angiogram, the trigger for Ashleigh’s immense pain was discovered. 

One of the four arteries to her heart was narrow.

A plaque build-up in the arteries can be expected and doesn’t pose any issues for normal-sized arteries, as it clears and dissipates. But this was much more sinister for Ashleigh’s smaller artery, getting stuck and blocking the blood flow to her heart.

To fix it, a stent was placed. This is a small mesh to expand the artery to a larger size. Ashleigh was also put on blood-thinning and anti-clot medications to ensure her blood could pass through going forward.  

Despite one small hiccup five months later, on the way to a netball match, and resulting in a second stent being placed, Ashleigh feels much better and is scheduled to receive her last follow-up appointment.  

A strong connection to our cause

While her interaction with Wellington Free Ambulance only played a small role that night, our paramedics made a significant impact. 

“It was the genuine care. They made me feel like it was all going to be okay. They were friendly, and personable, and asked me questions. It was like a friend having a chat, even though I was going through something medical and scary and unknown. I just had confidence that they know what they’re doing,” she says. 

There have been no more trips in the back of an ambulance for Ashleigh, but she still maintains a strong connection to our cause. To give back and say thanks, she dons a onesie and volunteers each year as part of our annual Onesie Appeal. 

“I just think Wellington Free Ambulance is an amazing charity to support. Last year, and this year I volunteered based on my personal experiences. 

“Any little bit that people can give to support them, so they can support people in need – is worth it.”

If you'd like to help us be here when people need us most, people like Ashleigh, please support our work by donating.