A terminally ill patient’s final wish to see the ocean one last time has been granted by Australian paramedics who took her to the beach on a stretcher.
The Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) shared the tear-jerking story on their Facebook page Wednesday in a post that has since gone viral.
The post says the patient was being transferred to the palliative care unit of the local hospital by team members in Hervey Bay.
While en route, the patient revealed she wanted to see the beach — and the medics made it happen.
“Above and beyond, the crew took a small diversion to the awesome beach at Hervey Bay to give the patient this opportunity — tears were shed and the patient felt very happy,” QAS said in a Facebook post.
The post was shared more than 20,000 times, and paramedics Danielle Kellum and Graeme Cooper were praised for their actions. Cooper is seen in a picture accompanying the story, looking out into the water alongside the patient in her stretcher.
"It's just very humbling to have these experiences," Cooper told ABC News
Cooper added that he filled a vomit bag with the ocean water so the patient could put her arm in it. He admitted that she tasted the salt water, too.
Kellum said that despite the circumstances, the patient was calm at the sight.
"I said to the patient, 'What are you thinking?' She was looking out towards Fraser Island and she said, 'I'm at peace, everything's right,'" Kellum told ABC News.
Since being uploaded, the post has received thousands of positive comments, calling the act of kindness “beautiful” and “heartfelt.” Some folks even shared their own personal experiences in the comments.
In a follow-up post by QAS, Commissioner Russell Bowes showed his appreciation and said he was proud of the team.
“Being highly skilled to save lives with medical intervention and drugs is important but equally to the Service is empathy & compassion,” Bowes said in the post. “We are so lucky that our staff around the State value and practice the importance of both.”
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