Ambulance Wish Western Australia launches new regional hub in Busselton to fulfil last wishes
Local community gains vital service for those in end-of-life care to fulfil final wishes
Ambulance Wish Western Australia is thrilled to announce the official launch of its new regional hub in Busselton aimed at helping terminally ill patients achieve their last wishes. The launch event will take place on Thursday 12 December 2024 at Busselton Hospice Care’s Geographe Bay Centre, 5 Craig St, Busselton, starting at 16:00.
During an individual’s final months, weeks or days, Ambulance Wish Western Australia makes it possible to bring terminally ill West Australians joy and comfort through visiting a familiar place that reignites precious memories, or the fulfilment of something special on their bucket list that can give them a sense of achievement and excitement. It provides an opportunity to gather family and friends to create a lasting memory, one last celebration of their loved one.
Ambulance Wish Western Australia is a dedicated, volunteer-run and donor-funded service and Wish Recipients are accompanied by qualified and trained volunteers. The volunteer team eases the suffering of the terminally ill by allowing them to experience joyous family occasions, visit family and friends, meaningful places, or do simple everyday activities that would otherwise be out of reach.
The relocation of a Wish Ambulance (named Kees) to Busselton will increase the ability of South West WA residents with a terminal illness to access the Final Wish Programme – previously Wish Ambulances needed to travel from Perth to undertake wishes in the South West.
The launch event – kindly supported by Busselton Hospice Care – will provide an opportunity to see the new Wish Ambulance; meet Ambulance Wish Western Australia volunteers, including the charity’s founders, Susie & Gary Wilson; learn the benefits of fulfilling final wishes and details of some of the wishes already fulfilled in the South West.
“The establishment of a regional hub, with the assistance of some of our fantastic team of volunteers, will make it even easier to provide wishes for those in end-of-life care in the South West. We are absolutely delighted that we have been able to accomplish this – especially because we are a little charity which receives absolutely no funding or governmental support and is entirely run on donations by volunteers”, said Ambulance Wish Western Australia co-founder and Management Committee Chair, Susie Wilson.
“Without a vehicle locally, one in seven wishes that we fulfil comes from the Sout West region, so having a local hub is expected to make a huge difference, not only to the ease with which these wishes can be fulfilled, but also to our volunteer availability without the need to travel to and from Perth each time. Our charity has already made a big impact – with many of our South West volunteers coming to us with experience of witnessing the difference a fulfilled wish can make. We are excited and looking forward to making a difference for people receiving end-of-life care and support in the South West community.”
While Ambulance Wish Western Australia has been fulfilling final wishes in the South West since launching its Final Wish Programme, the Registered Charity has recently experienced an increase in the number of wishes from the South West, not only from Busselton Health Campus and St John of God Bunbury Hospital but from local nursing homes and those receiving care in the community.