A lifesaving chopper ride to hospital
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There is every chance Roland Schwarz would not be with us today if it was not for the Northland Rescue Helicopter.
And the Northland music community would be much poorer for it if the co-owner of Wards Music had not made the call to fast-track a trip to the emergency department at Whangārei Hospital six years ago.
Then 57, Schwarz was on a day off work and decided to get his lawn in order.
‘‘It was a Thursday and I decided to mow the lawn. I got about 10 minutes into it and I could hardly push the thing,’’ Schwarz says.
‘‘I thought ‘that’s not right’ so I went inside and had some lunch and then got back into it. This time I had chest pains so went back inside. I had had indigestion before so I thought it was just that. As I went inside, I had a phone call from a friend in the South Island asking how I was. I told him and he told me to go to hospital. Blokes being blokes, I went outside to give it another nudge.’’
Within minutes, Schwarz was on the phone to his partner requesting a lift to Whangārei Hospital. From there, Schwarz says the speed at which the medical staff worked was impressive.
‘‘They put all the gadgets on me. They were flying, man. They told me I was going to Auckland because I needed surgery. The next thing I was on the roof where the Northland Rescue Helicopter was waiting for me.’’
Specialists were on the helipad at Auckland Hospital to greet Schwarz. He was soon hooked up to all the relevant equipment, monitored and quickly told by a doctor that a stent in his heart was urgently needed. Despite no family history of heart health issues, Schwarz was soon on the operating table.
‘‘I felt fine but I was obviously not. I got to watch the procedure on the big screen and within a couple of hours was told I would be on an Ambulance back to Whangārei Hospital. I was praying for a transfer in the Northland Rescue Helicopter instead of the drive.’’
He got his wish, stayed overnight in Whangārei Hospital and was home for two weeks of rest.
‘‘The hospital staff, pilots and flight paramedics were brilliant. I have so much respect for them. Before that day I did not think much about the Northland Rescue Helicopter, although I had donated over the years.
‘‘I am just amazed at how slick they all are. To them it’s just another day but it is pretty cool expertise, which I previously took for granted.’’
Schwarz has since been an avid fan of Northland’s rescue helicopters and living near the hospital he can mostly pick the routes of the choppers.
‘‘I lived next to Whangārei Airport for many years and never had a problem with the sound of planes and choppers,’’ he says.
After a lifetime passion with music and decades performing in bands as a singer and guitarist, Schwarz is now equally passionate about Northland Rescue Helicopter and encourages Northlanders to support the Whangārei-based charity.
Help keep our choppers in the air by donating at https://www. nest.org.nz/donate/.