Truely grateful – Kate's inspiring story

Name: Flinders Foundation
Address: 3 Flinders Drive, Bedford Park, South Australia, 5042, AU
Telephone: (08) 8204 5216
Price range: $

Posted 22 Jan 2025

Patient Care

Sitting in the waiting room of Flinders Medical Centre’s Intensive Care Unit, Sharon faced every parent’s worst nightmare.

"We never imagined we’d ever need Flinders — But we did.

And when we needed them most, we were so grateful they were there."

– Sharon, Kate's Mum.

Sitting in the waiting room of Flinders Medical Centre’s Intensive Care Unit, Sharon faced every parent’s worst nightmare.

Just next door, a highly skilled trauma team was fighting to save her 19-year-old daughter Kate’s life.

None of us ever expect that it will be us. Our hope for you... is that it never will be.

For Sharon and John, it started out like any other Friday.

But what happened next to their daughter Kate is something that has changed their lives forever.

You see, Kate had been a passenger in a car accident, the vehicle slamming into a tree.

Brought to Flinders Medical Centre by ambulance, her injuries were extensive: bleeding on the brain, a broken pelvis, a shattered jaw, lacerated spleen and a fractured spine.

For ten agonising days, Kate lay unconscious, enduring three major operations. Sharon and her husband John could only wait and hope for any sign of progress. Every moment felt like a lifetime as they faced the unbearable question: would their youngest daughter ever wake up, let alone walk or talk again?

During this unimaginable time, the extraordinary staff at Flinders Medical Centre fought tirelessly to save Kate’s life.

But they did more than that – they provided Sharon and John with the compassion and support they so desperately needed to survive such an ordeal.

Exceptional care, without exceptions

Sharon vividly remembers how the staff cared for her as much as they cared for Kate.

"I felt comforted knowing Kate was in the best hands.
“They’d even tell me to go home and rest. Sometimes, I would call them in the middle of the night, even at 3 a.m. when I couldn’t sleep, and they would always be there – updating me on Kate and reassuring me that she was in good hands.
"It was absolutely the best place we could have been," Sharon says.

Like Sharon and John, you may never have needed Flinders Medical Centre before – and hopefully, you never will. But if that day ever comes, wouldn't you want to know that the very best care is available for you and your loved ones?

That’s why Flinders Foundation exists – to make sure that, if the unthinkable happens, exceptional care is here for you, your family, and our entire community, without exceptions.

But we can’t do it without you.

You can support patients and their families with a donation to fund groundbreaking research, high-tech equipment and exceptional patient care for people like Kate.

Donate now

Truly grateful

Although Kate remembers little of her time at Flinders due to her injuries, one day stands out clearly in her memory.

It was the day she prepared to leave the hospital for the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Unit at the nearby Repat Health Precinct. Kate admits she was scared, not knowing what her future held.

But that day, Kate’s determination to recover saw her not only stand up for the first time since her accident, but just a few hours later - take her first steps. Just 25 days after the accident that changed her life forever.

From that time on, there was no slowing Kate down.

Every goal she set was written on a board, and she worked tirelessly to tick each one off. From relearning to eat and use her right hand, to making brownies and, as Sharon jokes, learning new skills like emptying the dishwasher – Kate embraced every challenge with courage and resilience.

"Never at any time did I think I wouldn’t be able to do something again. My thinking was that, ‘I can’t yet, but I will,’” Kate says.

To rebuild her wellbeing as much as her physical health, every evening, Kate and her mum would list three things they were most grateful for.

Sometimes it was a kind word or smile from her support team, or the volunteers who brought the pair milos each day; seeing visitors to brighten her day; gradually having each tube, cannula or monitoring device removed; or discovering a new food she was able to eat again.

But time and again, it was the compassionate care from her health team that Kate was receiving that topped the list.

Given an expected discharge date of 26 October 2024, Kate beat the odds and returned home nearly three months ahead of schedule, where she continues her rehabilitation and dreams of the day she gets back on the footy field with her friends.

There for you, when you need them most

The Flinders Medical Centre Emergency Department is one of the busiest in South Australia, with more than 85,000 attendances per year.

Your support makes a difference

Your donation helps ensure that Flinders is here for anyone in our community who finds themselves in a situation they never imagined – so they too can return home to their loved ones, and the things they love, sooner.

By donating today, you’re helping to save lives, support families, and give people in our community, like Kate, the chance of a future they may never have thought possible.

Donate now