Family’s big donation
Stud heifer auction for LifeFlight
THIS week in the Rural Weekly, we meet the Hatton family and hear about how RACQ LifeFlight helped save their diabetic son.
Shane and Helen Hatton’s son, Jake, is back playing rugby, thanks to LifeFlight.
In March this year, the 11year-old was about to head off to camp when he fell ill suddenly and had to be picked up from Toowoomba Grammar School.
Mrs Hatton picked Jake up from school and took him back to their home in Wandoan. Within two days Jake was in the Chinchilla Hospital before being airlifted by LifeFlight to Brisbane.
Jake was later diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.
His parents are donating a heifer from their santa gertrudis stud, Diamond H, to give back to the organisation that helped save their son’s life.
The heifer will be auctioned at their sale on their property Diamond Downs in Wandoan on September 10. All proceeds from the sale of the heifer will go to LifeFlight.
“We’ve always donated to them, but you don’t really realise until it actually happens how good they are,” Mr Hatton said.
“They told me how much it can cost. Up to $25,000. So I just want to give back a bit for what they’ve done for me.
“I hope she (the heifer) makes between $6000 and $10,000. She got a blue ribbon at Beef. She won her class. She’s a pretty good little heifer.”
Mr Hatton said it was scary seeing his son so sick.
“It wasn’t easy. He was in a bad way,” he said. “They had to stabilise him first before the chopper turned up. I hadn’t even got to Dalby before he was in Brisbane. Helen went with him.”
Mrs Hatton said they were in the helicopter for about 45 minutes.
Get the Rural Weekly in tomorrow’s The Chronicle.