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Tibor’s first ever trip in a Wellington Free Ambulance was when he was just 8 or 9 months old.

“The earliest incident I’ve been told about was when I had my first seizure at home. My parents were wondering what was happening. My uncle had epilepsy, but he outgrew it in his teens, so they thought maybe it had been passed onto me.”

While Tibor was in hospital following his first epileptic seizure, he was photographed for use in a Dominion Post advert for nursing.

At 18 months old, Tibor started medication to manage his epilepsy. However, over the first 5 years of his life, he’d go on to have multiple seizures (bursts of electrical activity in the brain that temporarily affect how it works and cause a wide range of symptoms), all of which resulted in ambulances being called.

A ‘frequent flyer’

“There are 2 experiences with Wellington Free Ambulance that I can clearly remember. The rest of them, I was unconscious,” Tibor explains.

“When I was 4 years old, my 3-year-old brother and I used the kitchen drawers to climb up to the cupboard where my epilepsy medication was stored. They seemed like lollies to us, and we swallowed a lot of them. The ambulance was called as we were pretty delirious and off we went to hospital to get our stomachs pumped.”

The second time happened when Tibor was 5 years old.

“I jumped over a big wooden fence to play in the grass on the other side. I landed in a whole pile of beer bottles and sliced my heel open. My neighbour picked me up and took me home.”

“I remember sitting in the back of a Wellington Free Ambulance, with a towel wrapped around my foot, holding it tight. I needed 12 stitches once I got to hospital.”

As Tibor grew older, the severity and quantity of his epilepsy seizures increased. In his teens, he refers to himself as a ‘frequent flyer’ when it came to using Wellington Free Ambulance. On average, he needed the clinical help of the Wellington Free team at least 1 or 2 times every single month.

cupboard where my epilepsy medication was stored. They seemed like lollies to us, and we swallowed a lot of them. The ambulance was called as we were pretty delirious and off we went to hospital to get our stomachs pumped.”

The second time happened when Tibor was 5 years old.

“I jumped over a big wooden fence to play in the grass on the other side. I landed in a whole pile of beer bottles and sliced my heel open. My neighbour picked me up and took me home.”

“I remember sitting in the back of a Wellington Free Ambulance, with a towel wrapped around by foot, holding it tight. I needed 12 stitches once I got to hospital.”

As Tibor grew older, the severity and quantity of his epilepsy seizures increased. In his teens, he refers to himself as a ‘frequent flyer’ when it came to using Wellington Free Ambulance. On average, he needed the clinical help of the Wellington Free team at least 1 or 2 times every single month.

A key part of Tibor’s healthcare journey

When Tibor entered his college years, he says “my seizures stepped up even further. My doctors tried to stabilise me using a combination of medications, but I remember there was quite a lot of concern from my GP”.

Throughout these years, Tibor experienced incredibly frequent seizures. He recalls “coming around in the hospital after I seized – I experienced seizures at college as well as when I was out and about, like on train platforms or on the bus. One time on the bus as I fell, my head hit a metal pole, giving me a huge black eye.”

Wellington Free Ambulance paramedics attended every time Tibor needed them. They assessed him at the location, stabilised him and transferred him to hospital for further care. Sometimes he’d stay in hospital for a couple of days if the seizure frequency changed or they didn’t stop.

Tibor thinks paramedics became a key “part of my healthcare journey. I wouldn’t have blamed them if they were thinking ‘oh it’s him again!’”

Life-changing surgery

When Tibor was 16, doctors began exploring the possibility of seizure surgery.

He clearly remembers how, when his classmates began their first day of 5^th Form School Certificate exams, he was on the operating table. Tibor had a temporal lobectomy, a neurosurgical procedure that removes the front part of the temporal lobe of the brain to treat drug-resistant epilepsy. It’s thought that this pioneering surgery was the first one performed in the southern hemisphere and the third one in the world.

Tibor spent 8 weeks in hospital following his surgery. His doctors told him he’d have one more seizure after his surgery as part of the healing process.

He was scheduled for his final clearance with his neurologist and surgeon on a Friday.

The day before, Tibor vividly remembers “standing in front of the greeting card rack at Whitcoulls when my eyes started to play up. I had a funny taste in my mouth, and I thought ‘it’s coming back’.”

Managing to walk across Wellington CBD, Tibor got himself to his workplace before promptly collapsing behind the counter.

At 17 years old, Tibor had his last epileptic seizure and his last call to Wellington Free Ambulance.

“I kept coming back to Wellington Free”

Now, decades later, Tibor has decided to leave a gift to Wellington Free Ambulance in his Will.

He explains:

“At the time of all my seizures, I never knew about Wellington Free’s involvement in my care because I was always unconscious. But in later years I realised that Wellington Free was always an important part of that caring loop. Wellington Free was always there for me.”

“Over the years, I kept coming back to Wellington Free Ambulance. They were such a huge part of my early life. When I think about my teenage years, I think I used Wellington Free at least 12 to 15 times every single year.”

When it came time to think about his legacy, Tibor decided he wanted to fund new ambulances for Wellington Free – a fitting tribute for someone who has experienced first-hand tens of ambulance journeys.

Tibor says:

“It’s always been in the back of my mind to give to Wellington Free. There’s such a huge need by the people in our region for the services Wellington Free Ambulance provide. I want to contribute to keeping the free aspect of Wellington Free alive. I want to support the coalface, where it’s needed the most. I truly know the impact Wellington Free has on the community. It’s an absolute necessity.”

“I’m also aware that the pressure is growing on Wellington Free – as our region’s population grows, so does the demand. It needs our support to meet this demand.”

When asked what it feels like to know he’s saving and changing lives both now and for generations to come, Tibor says:

“It’s very moving. People are going to be given all the help and attention they need, just as I did.”

For anyone considering leaving a bequest to Wellington Free Ambulance, Tibor says:

“Look around our region. Think about what Wellington Free has done for you and what it means to you.”

“Think about your family and the generations to come – all of who you can help by helping Wellington Free Ambulance.”

Thank you, Tibor for so generously sharing your story with us. If you’d like to know more about leaving a gift in your Will, visit our dedicated website page.