- by Debbie Jane Winstanley

‘Words. So powerful. They can crush a heart or heal it. They can shame a soul, or liberate it. They can shatter a dream, or liberate it. They can obstruct connect, or invite it. They can create defenses, or melt them. We have to use words wisely’ Jeff Brown
 
Glowing embers of the evening braai formed a stark contrast to the night sky. The banter amongst the night crew ranged from the latest sport scores to the best butchery to buy your steak. Almost overseeing the braai chefs stood ROCKET1, checked and ready for any potential call out. As Murphy would have it, half way through dinner the all too familiar ‘PING’ – ‘activate for primary’. These three words set the night crew in motion; the light-hearted chatter replaced with final checks as the crew make their way to ROCKET1, steaks forgotten.
 
We had been called to a motor vehicle accident; this one of such serious nature two helicopters were required for transportation of patients to appropriate facilities. It was also month end, and simultaneous multiple incidences had spread ground crew thin resulting in few hands available for assistance on scene.
 
On landing I was directed towards a vehicle and told; ‘watch your 6 (back)’, the weight of these words felt with the volatile crowd two helicopters had attracted. I was introduced to a young lady *Mary. She had been seated in the back of the vehicle, where maximum impact had occurred. Mary was in severe pain due to fractures and needed extrication from the vehicle she was trapped in. She had also just been told that she would be transported to hospital in a helicopter. Her first words to me were ‘I am scared of the helicopter and will my legs be okay? Her moments of terror post car accident and the pain from her injuries were clouded by the fear of transport by a helicopter and the possibility of life changing injuries and shattered life dreams. Her pain can be easily relieved, broken bones stabilized and wounds bandaged, but there is no aid in our jump or drug bag to ease personal fear.
 
After handing Mary over at the receiving facility I leant over to say good bye. ‘You kept your promise’, she told me; ‘You never left me and gave me hope.’ It is in those moments we realize that emergency medicine has no boundaries; that no textbook teaches the right words and that often, our words are remembered by the patient above any medical treatment.  Tonight I am glad our words gave Mary hope.

- by Dr Joji Mercier

The 4 am alarm comes too quickly. Fall out of bed and shrug sleep-leaden limbs into a crisp clean flight-suit. Brush teeth; wash face; feed the dogs. The flight bag stands ready, prepared the evening before with years of learned hacks and help-outs-in-a-tight-corner. Drive into the not-yet morning of the not-yet-summer darkness, towards the hanger, into a day which can hold anything: nursing the travel-coffee as it cheer-leads motivation into each cell.
 
The neon light of the crew-room never flatters the washed-out night-shift faces handing over the baton. Summary of stock used, replenished items, levels of on-board oxygen cylinders, battery-charge on the defibrillator and ventilator. Tones hushed, the transition of arriving and departing; of beginning and ending. The merging and separation of energies in the helicopter emergency medicine world: the coffee machine grinding out the whirring soundtrack to the choreographed interactions.

- by Caleb Cage

Life is a delicate, fragile thing. Unfortunately, John* found this out the hard way when a tyre on his vehicle burst during a late-night work delivery. His vehicle rolled, leaving him with a head injury and broken neck. Not only did this immediately threaten his life, but also his future ability to walk, talk and lead a normal life.
After the accident, John was taken to a nearby hospital for stabilisation. Unfortunately, due to the extent of his injuries, he required specialist care from a Johannesburg hospital which was hours away by road. Enter ROCKET HEMS, which cut the travel time by 75%. John was flown to Johannesburg successfully where the care he so desperately needed was initiated. He was given hope to get back to his normal life.
While reflecting on this flight, I thought to myself, “Why in the world would I spend the night away from my family to work in the early hours of the morning for some guy I don’t know?” It was bitterly cold. I was tired. Work is hard. But the reason is actually quite simple. Life is delicate and fragile. But it is also incredibly valuable. It is worth making sacrifices for. And so it was a privilege to be part of the ROCKET HEMS team bringing hope to John that night.
 
*Name changed for confidentiality.

- by ​Dr Anne Mercier

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Yesterday was a good day. Well, not entirely in all aspects, but there was a good dash of hope, many professionals working together as a team, and a flying ROCKET of help to change the tide of things.

Thirteen-year-old Chanté* had been missing her friends at school during the COVID lock-down, but a delighted visit to her neighbour’s new puppies ended in tragedy. The protective new doggie mommy misread Chanté’s enthusiasm and attacked her to defend her babies – leaving terrible wounds on Chanté’s arms and legs. Her leg was possibly fractured, and her artery potentially torn, which could threaten blood flow to her foot. The emergency crew called to the scene stabilised her and bandaged her wounds, calling the ROCKET helicopter to speed up the transfer to the hospital for definitive care. They did a fabulous job in identifying and securing a landing zone, and keeping all the people safe while the helicopter landed and took off.
 
Little Chanté was enormously brave through her first helicopter ride, and learned that by putting her injured leg in a box that the pain and bleeding got much better. She secretly told the flight-doctor that her favourite animal was a unicorn. So we asked Sparkles the unicorn to lead the way through the sky, help the brave pilot to land in blowing winds, and we all delivered her safely to the hospital with a lot less pain. We left our charming young lady in very skilled hands and the watchful eye of her mystical companion.

As the sun set on another beautiful Joburg winters day, crew both in the air and on the ground went home knowing that, at least for one young lady, teamwork had made all the difference. And therefore it was indeed a good day.
 
* name changed for confidentiality

ROCKET 1 crewed by: Captain Abie Bezuidenhoudt,  Dr Anne Mercier and Patrick Wallett

The day that we had been planning and anticipating for so many months had finally arrived...yesterday, as we pulled ROCKET 1 out of the hangar for her very first standby shift, the excitement was palpable. As the day broke, the energy in the hangar was incredible, as everyone settled into their new daily routines. What a team we have managed to unite! Our beautiful new HEMS base welcomed the day shift crew as everyone pitched in to get the last little bits and bobs moved in, and the night shift walked in to find everything ready for a good night's rest in anticipation of immediate action when required.

The journey leading up to launch day was certainly not without its challenges. To make this day happen on time and in such an incredibly smooth manner in the middle of a world-wide Covid-19 lockdown was an almost impossible task, to which our team responded with a tenacity that can only bode well for the future of our operation. At ROCKET we believe in teamwork in everything we do. From the lowest ranked medical assistant to the most senior captain, everyone is an essential part of the team, ensuring a safe operation by working together to identify and mitigate risk. In a hostile environment such as HEMS, looking out for each other is of vital importance, and can literally mean the difference between success and disaster. Our team on the very first shift consisted of Boeta Dippenaar, Patrick Wallet and Divan Meyer...a duty that will be etched in our collective memory forever.