Ambulance Wish Western Australia | Community organisation

Ambulance Wish Western Australia

Phone: +61 8 6158 9966

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25.01.2022 NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia each year to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This year’s National NAIDOC week theme is Always Was, Always Will Be and recognises that First Nations people have occupied and cared for this continent for over 65,000 years and their spiritual and cultural connection to Country. Ambulance Wish Western Australia is proud to celebrate NAIDOC week and recognises the u...nique place of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia, acknowledging their ongoing spiritual and cultural custodianship of their lands. For more information on NAIDOC Week and how you can get involved, visit their website at www.naidoc.org.au

25.01.2022 As we approach the close of National Palliative Care Week 2020 we would like to say thank you to those special people who work in palliative care, this is not just the medical practitioners and nurses, but also the allied health professionals, such as pastoral care workers, pharmacists and dietitians, and all the volunteers and carers. Death and dying are inevitable parts of life and are a uniquely personal experience. No two end-of-life situations are the same. If a person ...Continue reading

25.01.2022 For those who missed out on attending Joining the Dots, the 2020 palliative care summit, you can find some of the presentations on Palliative Care WA’s website: https://palliativecarewa.asn.au/joining-the-dots/ There is also a copy of the presentation 'Fulfilling a Final Wish' about Ambulance Wish Western Australia, minus the video, delivered at the summit. If your company, organisation or community group would like to know more about Ambulance Wish Western Australia and would like a presentation by one of our volunteers please contact us on [email protected] or via messenger.

25.01.2022 Listen to the ticking of the house clock one last time, see the sea, ski, trek or attend a concert are just a few of the wishes from the Spanish Fundación Ambulancia del Deseo - another international Ambulance Wish charity who fulfil the wishes and dreams of patients who are bed-bound due to a major or incurable illness.

24.01.2022 It’s with a very heavy heart that we share the extremely sad news, that the founder of the Ambulance Wish Foundation, Kees Veldboer, has died today. He was a truly inspirational, caring and passionate man, who spent his life making sure people could fulfil their final wishes. He was the inspiration for numerous Ambulance Wish programmes around the world, including Ambulance Wish Western Australia. We, like many others, feel honoured to have known him and proud of the legacy he has left. Our thoughts are with his amazing wife, Ineke Veldboer, and family, as well as his ambulance wish family in the Netherlands and across the world

24.01.2022 Today is World Dream Day established for the purpose of encouraging individuals, communities, businesses, schools and families to take some time to concentrate on their dreams and make an effort to turn them into reality. At Ambulance Wish Western Australia our dream is simple: we want to start being able to fulfil the final dreams and wishes of terminally ill Western Australians. We have plans, goals and objectives in place and a passion to achieve our dream our next ste...Continue reading

24.01.2022 Mygivingcircle is giving $500,000 to Charities and Not-for-Profits in 2021. This grants round they are giving up to $50,000 to the 20 charities with the most votes. All you need to do is vote or donate to the Charities you love and the 20 charities with the most votes will share in $50,000. You can vote for free once a week.

24.01.2022 While the fulfillment of patients’ final wishes can have a huge positive influence on the individual patient and their family, the development of Ambulance Wish Western Australia can assist in changing the narrative towards positive dying and improved well-being. As part of the international Ambulance Wish Movement, Ambulance Wish Western Australia receives updates regarding achievements and benefits fulfilling final wishes from around the world, for example, Ambulance Wish ...Queensland is currently collaborating with several academics and project management experts to develop a Program Benefits Framework to ensure the impact of the program can be demonstrated. From their research, and experiences from other international Ambulance Wish Institutions, anticipated benefits of the Ambulance Wish programme in Western Australia will include: Improved well-being; Reduced anxiety and fear; Increased empowerment; Increased end of life planning; Increased awareness of palliative care; Increased compassionate communities; and Increased death and compassion literacy.

23.01.2022 Ambulance Wish Western Australia would like to introduce Peppi, the Registered Charity’s mascot who will accompany recipients on their final wish. On October 5th 2013 we were all left a little poorer for the loss of Mr Richard Peppiatt. A loving husband, father, brother, uncle, son and friend, Richard’s loss was felt by many. Richard - like many others - battled with cancer: a glioblastoma multiforme. He was fortunate to fight with the strength of his family and friends an...d the support of his amazing medical team behind him, determined to ensure that he lived until he died and that each moment was cherished and without suffering. For all that was packed in to the end of his life, the limitations and restrictions of his mobility made travel incredibly difficult. As inspiring as he was while he lived, Richard’s will lives on in the strength and dedication of those of us who knew him; our determination to ensure that others have the opportunity to make one last, meaningful journey is his legacy. Peppi - named after Richard - is a Numbat, also known as a banded anteater. Native to Western Australia and extremely rare, there is an estimated population of less than 1,000 individuals in south-west Western Australia. The Numbat is an unique, endangered, pouchless, termite-eating marsupial. An adult can eat up to 20,000 termites a day and does not need to drink water because of the moisture content of the termites. By adopting the Numbat - the faunal state emblem of Western Australia - as its charity mascot rather than the usual teddy bear, Ambulance Wish Western Australia wants to represent its Western Australian origins and the special individuality and uniqueness of the West Australians who volunteer for the organisation. All Wish Recipients will receive their own gifted Peppi wearing his Ambulance Wish Western Australia scrub top, along with a photo book documenting the fulfilment of their final wish. It has been identified by other international Ambulance Wish organisations that this mascot often becomes a treasured family memento. Ambulance Wish Western Australia has just started fundraising to commission their first ‘Wish Ambulance’ the vehicle which will allow the charity to start fulfilling final wishes for immobile, terminally ill West Australian patients.

22.01.2022 Brazil used to be ranked 42nd out of 80 countries evaluated for the quality of death. Then Roberto established Instituto Rope and created a volunteer institution who's sole mission is to realise the most significant desires of people whole lives are threatened by serious illness. His desire to improve this rating, by fulfilling patient's final wishes, is both heartwarming and motivating - a trait seen in Ambulance Wish Foundation volunteers around the world. Examples of wishe...s include lunch by the fire in a bistro; walks on the beach; birthday and family celebrations; concert attendances; organising a wedding at the country's largest cancer hospital and meeting public and sporting figures. Roberto finds it absurd that if a terminally ill patient wishes to have a glass of wine and a cigarette just before his death it is news and believes it should be routine everywhere to continue things which bring joy until the very end of life. See more

22.01.2022 Congratulations Stichting Ambulance Wens Nederland on fulfilling your 16,000th final wish.

21.01.2022 On International Volunteer Day Ambulance Wish Western Australia would like to acknowledge and thank their volunteers for their time, energy and commitment. International Volunteer Day is held each year on 5 December. It is viewed as a unique chance for volunteers and organisations to celebrate their efforts, to share their values, and to promote their work among their communities, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), United Nations agencies, government authorities and the... private sector. All positions and roles in Ambulance Wish Western Australia are undertaken by volunteers, with the charity having no paid staff. This allows all donations are used to run Ambulance Wish Western Australia and fulfil final wishes. We will shortly be inviting expressions of interest for volunteer support roles, such as events, marketing, fundraising, communications and administration - please watch this space for more information. When we have passed 50 per cent of our $150,000 Ambulance Wish fundraising target we will start our volunteer clinicians recruitment and training programme.

21.01.2022 An incredible man, an inspirational leader, a truly special human. Vale Kees Veldboer

21.01.2022 Following Ambulance Wish Western Australia’s endorsement by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) as a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR), donors can now receive tax relief for donations over $2. Only certain organisations are entitled to receive income tax deductible gifts and tax deductible contributions these are called DGRs. If a donation is tax deductible, donors - both individuals and companies - can deduct the amount of their donation from their taxable income when they ...Continue reading

21.01.2022 Thank you, Paragon Performance, for supporting Ambulance Wish Western Australia by donating a portion of all profits to the charity. Paragon Performance provides athletes of all levels with gear that allows them to develop and perform at their peak. You can support this Western Australian company by visiting their website at: https://paragonperformance.com.au/

20.01.2022 While we continue our fundraising appeal for our first Wish Ambulance, we are taking a look at other Ambulance Wish Foundations around the world - today is Germany's Der Wünschewagen Launched in 2014, the 1,800 volunteer wish fulfillers at Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund (ASB) have made more than 2,000 wishes come true. The volunteers help where relatives are overwhelmed; when a passenger can only be transported lying down; needs nursing medical care or the family does not dare to undertake the trip alone. Thanks to donations and the commitment of their volunteers, they fulfil wishes free of charge for their guests. Anyone who can still be transported is allowed to ride, the destination is up to the person who wishes - whether to the sea, to the stadium, to a concert, family or back home.

20.01.2022 Today marks seven years since we lost this little numbat's eponym. We remember him fondly and are proud that our little "Peppi" friends will help carry his legacy of memorable wishes forward. You can help us grant wishes by following us on social media, spreading word of our appeal and donating via our website: www.ambulancewishwa.org.au

19.01.2022 One Final Wish introduces Ambulance Wish Western Australia, describes the benefits of fulfilling final wishes and illustrates how you can help fulfil final wishes. One Final Wish can also be downloaded from the Ambulance Wish Western Australian website. With June 30 only days away, our annual Tax Appeal is ending. Make a tax deductible donation today at https://www.ambulancewishwa.org.au/donate/ and help us start fulfilling final wishes. Your donation will help us achieve our mission to enable people receiving palliative care or who are terminally ill to fulfil a final wish by visiting a place of personal significance, for example, to admire their own garden, to feel the breeze of the beach, or to be surrounded by their loved ones and pets. https://www.yumpu.com//65/ambulance-wish-western-australia

18.01.2022 Did you know it's palliative care week? Palliative care can help people with life-limiting illnesses to live as well as possible, for as long as possible supporting their physical, emotional, spiritual and social needs. #palliativecare #ambulancewishwa #alastwishalastingmemory

18.01.2022 Before I die . . . Discussing final wishes and bucket lists is a strategy which can help patients clarify their health decisions and serve as a road map to developing a personalised care plan and assist in making treatment decisions that enhance their life goals. Looking at final wishes and bucket lists is not just for those who are dying though. Before I Die is a global public art project, developed by Candy Chang, that invites people to reflect on their lives and share their personal aspirations in public space and is about remembering what is important to you.

18.01.2022 A final wish programme. Why? Despite many advancements in medicine, all patients and their care teams must face death as an eventual reality. Unfortunately, the dying process can be a time of great loss and suffering. Illness can obliterate assumptions about the world and precipitate a grievous sense of isolation, brokenness, and loss of meaning. The challenge of losses that accompany a terminal illness can devastate both the person and the person’s family as they confront th...Continue reading

18.01.2022 Continuing our virtual travel around the world, today we visit Japan. 2019 saw two Ambulance Wish charities start fulfilling final wishes in Japan - the Wish Wagon Foundation () and the Wishing Car (). Spending time with family - at their homes, at restaurants, the beach or parks - are some of the final wishes fulfilled by the charities' volunteers, along with temple and museum visits, seeing the cherry blossom and even a swim with dolphins. Like Ambulance Wish Western Australia and many other international Ambulance Wish charities, the Wish Wagon Foundation has not achieved its planned growth due to the effect of the Corona virus, but still attempts to fulfil wishes where possible, including providing reverse wishes when the original wish is not achievable.

17.01.2022 There is less than 2 weeks left to become a Founding Donor for Ambulance Wish Western Australia. A Founding Donor is any donor who makes a gift - irrespective of the amount - during Ambulance Wish Western Australia's first year. Founding donors are acknowledged by name in our Annual Reports and on Ambulance Wish WA's website. In addition to receiving a commemorative certificate, Founding Donors will also receive invites to future Ambulance Wish Western Australia events. We ...understand that everyone’s circumstances are different with respect to what they can give; any donation that is meaningful to you, is meaningful to us. Even a regular donation of $20 a month - the price of a single coffee each week - will have a huge impact for terminally ill patients, and could also provide you with a potential tax deduction of up to $108, depending on your individual circumstances. Donations can also be made at: https://www.ambulancewishwa.org.au/donate/ All donations currently received are allocated to the Wish Ambulance Appeal, to commission the vehicle which will allow us to start fulfilling final wishes for immobile, terminally ill West Australians. This pictured final wish, recently featured in our presentation video, fulfilled by Stichting Ambulance Wens was to visit Blijdorp Zoo.

17.01.2022 Thank you BP Kwinana.

17.01.2022 Israel's @amutatKeshetHamishalot or 'Chariot of Wishes' was established in 2012 to fulfil final 'travel wishes' for terminally ill adults or children, providing an opportunity to change a person's environment for a brief time. As palliative care in Israel is a neglected subject, Keshet Hamishalat doesn't just aim to improve a patient’s psychological wellbeing by fulfilling a final wish, providing information and education to patients and their family is also seen as an integral role of the organisation. While, as with other Ambulance Wish programmes, volunteer medical staff accompany the patient on their final wish, Keshet Hamishalot also offers a 'clown-bulance' programme where the hospital's Medical Clowns join the patients on their wish.

16.01.2022 Ambulance Wish Western Australia has been selected to present as part of the Emerging Innovations session at the upcoming Palliative Care Summit on Thursday 26th November 2020 at Optus Stadium. ‘Joining the Dots’ will bring together palliative care, aged care and community service professionals, researchers, volunteers, policy makers, students, carers and community members. Summit outcomes include the following: * Sharing evidence and experience from varied sources to inform ...quality palliative caring in WA; * Promoting WA examples of innovation and best practice in the delivery of quality palliative caring; * Providing an update on the palliative and aged care landscapes with reference to significant Federal and State Government processes and community initiatives; * Sharing both the opportunities and challenges resulting from COVID-19 in relation to quality palliative caring; * Recognising the critical role of carers and community, including the compassionate community approach, in the delivery of quality palliative caring. See more

16.01.2022 We recently featured a single wish by the Ønsketransporten the Wish Transport where the volunteers accompanied wish recipient, Bjorn, on a 4km challenging walk up Prekestolen, a 606 metre steep cliff which offers amazing panoramic views over Lysefjord. So it only seems right to introduce the charity behind the wish, Ønsketransporten, a Norwegian Ambulance Wish non-profit organisation which started in autumn 2017, which helps people with serious illnesses and/or very limited mobility to have their wishes fulfilled. Examples of wishes fulfilled include attending weddings, gifts, anniversaries and other important occasions, or experiencing a football game, a concert, or going to a place that matters including up a cliff. The prerequisite is that the wish is feasible and professionally and ethically justifiable.

13.01.2022 Today is National Numbat Day - a special day to honour Western Australia's unique mammal emblem and encourage action to conserve the species. With the Numbat being the mascot for Ambulance Wish Western Australia, we are especially concerned with the threat of extinction this gorgeous animal faces - there is estimated to be a wild population of fewer than 1,000 individuals. The Numbat is under threat from habitat loss and introduced predators such as foxes and feral cats. You can help Numbats by encouraging responsible pet ownership, spreading the word about the marsupial’s plight and never removing hollow logs from the bush.

13.01.2022 Ambulance Wish Western Australia is now in a position to start recruiting volunteers in preparation for starting to fulfil final wishes in late 2021. If you would like to be considered as a Final Wish Clinician or Wish Ambulance Driver/ Crew, please complete one of the expression of interest forms at: www.ambulancewishwa.org.au/volunteer

13.01.2022 Follow the progress of our spring appeal to raise funds for our first Wish Ambulance, which will enable us to start fulfilling final wishes for immobile, terminally ill West Australians, on our website www.ambulancewishwa.org.au

12.01.2022 This is what we are trying to achieve in Western Australia

12.01.2022 Thank you The Senior for their feature on Ambulance Wish Western Australia in this month's WA edition.

11.01.2022 As soon as our Wish Ambulance is operational we aim to start fulfilling wishes to terminally ill West Australians. To be an eligible wish recipient, they should be under the care of a specialist palliative care services so we can discuss any specific medical requirements with your care team. You can access palliative care if you have been diagnosed with a life-limiting illness, no matter your age or stage of illness. You can access palliative care early in the course of your ...illness, even while still receiving other treatments such as chemotherapy, dialysis and alternative therapies. Palliative care sees death and dying as a normal part of life. It does not try to shorten life and it does not try to make life longer - instead it helps you live as well as possible. It can support you as well as your carers, friends and family. Palliative care aims to give you the best possible quality of life rather than finding a cure for your illness. It does not mean the end of treatment it means making choices about which treatments are important to you and which are not. Palliative care is based on your needs, so support and services vary from person to person. The care provided can include: relief of pain and other symptoms (e.g. nausea, shortness of breath); support to live as actively as possible until death; equipment to help you live at home, such as wheelchairs or special beds; support for you to meet your cultural obligations; counselling and grief support for you, your family and loved ones; support for your emotional, social and spiritual concerns; and access to support services (e.g. respite care, home help, financial support). Speak to your doctor about your options and preferences for palliative care. Helping Ambulance Wish Western Australia fundraise for a Wish Ambulance will allow us to start fulfilling these last wishes by donating via our website. If this is not an option in these challenging times, you can help by sharing our posts and news to raise awareness of our aim to grant the final, simple wishes of the terminally ill.

10.01.2022 Wünschewagen - sogni e vai is a joint venture of the Italian state rescue association, White Cross, and the Caritas Diocese of Bozen-Brixen. While its purpose, similar to other Ambulance Wish charities, is to fulfil one last wish for seriously ill patients at no charge to the patient or their family, the organisation also believes it is important that patients do not become isolated from society, but remain part of, or be brought back to, the community - exactly how they stood before their illness.

10.01.2022 What is a Wish Ambulance? A Wish Ambulance is a vehicle specially designed or converted to transport immobile, terminally ill patients to fulfil their wishes. Wish Ambulance design varies around the world but there are several similarities the ability of provide excellent patient care; tinted windows to allow privacy while allowing patients to view their journey and a comfortable ride, often with electronic stretchers with specialised mattresses. Medical equipment is often ...hidden from sight but easily accessible if required. Some Wish Ambulances are specially designed and built for delivering final wishes, some are converted ambulances, while others are converted from other vehicles such as minibuses. Regardless of their design, the purpose is the same - to safely transport patients to fulfil their wishes in comfort. Some international Ambulance Wish programmes, such as Belgium, even have a dedicated children’s Wish Ambulance with a special paint-job, PlayStation, DVD and Wi-Fi. The images show various Wish Ambulances from around the world, including what a WA Wish Ambulance could look like. We announced our Sponsorship and Partnership programme at the start of National Palliative Care Week to raise funds for the first Wish Ambulance for Western Australia (WA). We aim to start fulfilling wishes as soon as the Wish Ambulance is operational - we have started to receive formal applications from volunteers wanting to help fulfil patients’ final wishes in WA and have already developed our policies and procedures to ensure excellent clinical care. Donations can be made via our website and information on fundraising, sponsorship and partnerships can be found in our Get involved page. If you, or your organisation, are interested in forming a partnership or sponsoring Ambulance Wish Western Australia please contact us.

10.01.2022 One year ago, Ambulance Wish Western Australia representatives were in Rotterdam, joining members and delegates from all over the world at the first international conference of Ambulance Wish Foundations. During the conference, attendees from Austria, Brazil, Ecuador, England, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain and Australia (Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia) were introduced to the work of each of the international Ambulance Wish charities and how...Continue reading

09.01.2022 Ambulance Wish Western Australia launched its fundraising and sponsorship programme at the start of National Palliative Care Week (Sunday 24 May Saturday 30 May). The aim of the launch in this important calendar event is to raise awareness of the charity, its aims and to raise funds to purchase a Wish Ambulance to grant terminally ill, immobile West Australians their dying wishes. During a patient’s final months, weeks or days, Ambulance Wish Western Australia will make it...Continue reading

08.01.2022 A very special guard of honour and procession in Rotterdam for the founder of Ambulance Wish International, Kees. A beautiful tribute for the person who made so many final wishes possible.

07.01.2022 An incredible man, an inspirational leader, a truly special human. Remembered around the world

07.01.2022 Ambulance Wish Western Australia would like to thank Roseanne Adamson for her kind support during her 60th Birthday celebrations. Rose requested that guests, instead of giving presents, donate to Ambulance Wish Western Australia. Over $575 was donated to the Wish Ambulance appeal. In her birthday speech Rose described the frustrations experienced by those in quarantine and lockdown due to Covid-19 and asked guests to imagine permanently feeling like this due to limitations of a terminal illness. Allowing these patients to be able to leave their home or hospital to fulfil a final wish is the aim of Ambulance Wish Western Australia. Pictured is Rose with Peppi and Committee Members Susie and Gary Wilson. Happiest of special birthdays, Rose - thank you for your support

05.01.2022 Ambulance Wish Western Australia has published its Annual Report 2020, highlighting the work of the charity during its first year of existence. The report was approved at the Annual General Meeting (AGM), held on the 22 November 2020. With majority of large fundraising plans and activities, as well as opportunities to secure grants and funding, either cancelled or placed on hold due to COVID-19, the focus of its Management Committee has been on ‘behind the scenes’ work, crea...ting a robust and lasting framework to further the charity’s mission and goals. We have developed our formal Strategic and Operational Plan and over thirty governance practices and policies to ensure the charity exceeds legal and ethical standards and expectations, with the holistic care and safety of our volunteers, wish recipients and their families at its core described Susie Wilson, Chair of the Management Committee. The annual report details important information about Ambulance Wish Western Australia and its work over a 12 month period and includes: - the charity’s mission and vision - an overview of activities and achievements during the previous 12 months, as well as future activities planned; and - reports from board members and information about the charity’s finances and governance. The requirement for a reviewed or audited annual financial report depends on the size of a charity. As a small charity, it is optional to submit a financial report in the Annual Information Statement, so there is no ACNC requirement for Ambulance wish Western Australia to have its financial report reviewed or audited. To demonstrate transparency, however, Ambulance Wish Western Australia choses to submit a financial report as part of the Annual Information Statement and include the information in its Annual Report. A copy of the Annual Report 2020 can be downloaded from https://www.ambulancewishwa.org.au//11/2020-Annual-report.

05.01.2022 Certificates of Appreciation will start being sent out to Founding Donors next week. Founding donors are those who donated within 2020, the founding year of Ambulance Wish Western Australia. To recognise and show our appreciation to our generous donors, all donors are listed on the Ambulance Wish Western Australia website. Founding donors also deserve a special thank you as they have chosen to trust and support a new charity during the first year since its inception. We thank you for your kind and generous support. All donations currently received become part of the Wish Ambulance Appeal, fundraising for the first Wish Ambulance for Western Australia that will allow us to start fulfilling final wishes for terminally ill West Australians.

04.01.2022 Ambulance Wish Western Australia has launched its spring appeal to raise funds for its first ‘Wish Ambulance’, the vehicle which will allow immobile, terminally ill West Australians to fulfil their final wishes. During a patient’s final weeks or days, it is possible to bring them joy and comfort through visiting a familiar place that reignites precious memories, or to fulfil something special on their bucket list that can give them a sense of achievement and excitement. It is... also possible to gather a family and friends to create one last memory, one last celebration of their loved one. It is usually the little things that mean the most to a person nearing the end of their life, but these can seem impossible. A Wish Ambulance is a vehicle specially designed or converted to transport immobile, terminally ill patients to fulfil their wishes. Wish Ambulance design varies around the world but there are several similarities the ability to provide excellent patient care; tinted windows to allow privacy while allowing patients to view their journey; and a comfortable ride, often with electronic stretchers with specialised mattresses. Medical equipment is often hidden from sight but easily accessible if required. When we have passed 50 per cent of our $150,000 target we will start our volunteer clinicians training programme, ensuring that they have the required knowledge and skills to safely convey our wish recipients on their final wishes. Once the commissioning date of the ‘Wish Ambulance’ is known, we will open our wish programme. Please consider sharing and displaying our Spring Appeal promotional poster, which can be downloaded from: https://www.ambulancewishwa.org.au/ambulance-appeal/ Every dollar helps us fulfil final wishes. We run entirely on charitable donations and are managed by volunteers. All donations go to running Ambulance Wish Western Australia and fulfilling last wishes. Ambulance Wish Western Australia aims to bring joy to the final period of critically ill, immobile patients’ lives and ease the grieving process by fulfilling a wish identified by patients, families or clinicians. The Ambulance Wish programme seeks to provide care, even after accepting that death is imminent, by fulfilling wishes to celebrate the patients’ lives and passions. This can ease grief for families by providing a means for them to support their loved ones, and can allow clinicians to provide something meaningful for their patients even when they are unable to do so medically. Fulfilling wishes for those who have little time left will have a lasting and memorable impact on all involved.

04.01.2022 Please consider sharing and displaying our Spring Appeal promotional poster: https://www.ambulancewishwa.org.au//Wish-Ambulance-appeal-

03.01.2022 What would be your last wish? Would you want to feel the wind on your face while watching the waves crash onto the beach; watch the birds soar above the hills; or the sunlight shining through the trees and shimmering on the river? Would you prefer to say goodbye to the family pet; attend your daughter’s wedding; or say hello to your sibling or new grandchild?... Have one last day at home with mum and dad, visit the art gallery, zoo or rugby; or visit your husband’s grave one last time? Or would you rather chose to spend the afternoon shopping with your sister, have afternoon tea with your mum, visit a classic car show or say goodbye to your horse? For this terminally ill grandmother, her wish recently granted by Stichting Ambulance Wens in the Netherlands was to visit and hold her new grandchild in Sweden. Great care is about improving the quality of life for patients physically, mentally and spiritually. Identifying and fulfilling a last wish can help both the patient and their loved ones. Quite often it is the smallest or simplest wish, for example visiting home or memorable location, that means the most. Helping to identify a final wish, or create a bucket list, for a terminally ill patient can help identify where the patient’s priorities lie so they can alter their care to fit their needs or wants. Palliative care gives people choice and control over the way their care is planned and delivered, based on ‘what matters’ to them and their individual strengths and needs. One terminally ill patient described her care as: Palliative care has not only looked at my illness, but at my life, quality of life and experiences, seen me as a unique individual and view me as a whole person, not a sum of parts made up of various medical specialities. They see the ‘big picture’, not just my internal bodily systems but both my internal and external life, including my support network, my social needs and my wishes, goals and aspirations for my life. They have managed my symptoms to maximum efficacy, facilitated my desired quality of life, empowered me to chase my dreams and goals and supported my family. However, it goes deeper than that. I truly believe palliative care is the reason I have exceeded my prognosis, it is the reason I am still here, and research does show that palliative care can actually extend life. During a patient’s final months, weeks or days, Ambulance Wish Western Australia wants to bring them joy and comfort through visiting a familiar place that reignites precious memories, or fulfilment of something special on their bucket list that can give them a sense of achievement and excitement. Fulfilling a final wish is not just about the person living with a terminal illness. It provides an opportunity for their family members, friends and loved ones to share the experience with them to create lasting memories.

03.01.2022 Ambulance Wish Western Australia is now enrolled in the PayPal Giving Fund, enabling people to donate via PayPal, Facebook and GoFundMe. Paypal Giving Fund doesn’t charge charities or donors any fees for their services. Some of the partners may charge fees on donations made through their platforms, which they will disclose at the point of donation. Ambulance Wish Western Australia is run entirely on charitable donations and is managed by volunteers. All donations go to runni...ng the charity and fulfilling last wishes. We are currently raising funds for our first 'Wish Ambulance' - the vehicle which will allow immobile, terminally ill West Australians to fulfil their final wishes. Donations can be made here: https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/charity/4103339

03.01.2022 Vote for Ambulance Wish Western Australia in P&N Bank’s quarterly community grants program. After all the votes are counted on the 24th September 2021, the top five groups will receive $2,000 each, and the remaining groups will receive $1,000 each. Vote at: https://poll.app.do/pnbank-helping-nds-voting-sept21

02.01.2022 While we have been featuring international Ambulance Wish charities, this special final wish recently completed by the Norwegian Ønsketransporten deserves a special mention.

02.01.2022 Excellent work by our first youth ambassador, who presented her fundraising proposal to the principal and then gave presentations about the charity in school assemblies. Thanks to her efforts the school managed to raise over $800 for Ambulance Wish WA. Awesome job, Kathryn!

02.01.2022 Half-way through National Palliative Care Week 2020, we are today taking a look at palliative care in Western Australia (WA). Did you know that WA’s End-of-Life and Palliative Care Strategy 2018-2028 places people and their family/carer at the centre of care and ensures people are treated within a culture of compassion and quality? This Strategy is a testament to how important it is for the WA health system to have clear and defined priorities for end-of-life and palliative c...are. Approximately 70 per cent of all deaths are expected and most of us will die with a chronic condition. More people are living longer with chronic life-limiting conditions, and an estimated 30 per cent of Australians aged 65 years and over live with three or more chronic conditions. The aim of the Strategy is to provide strategic statewide policy direction and outline the vision, values and priorities for end-of-life and palliative care in Western Australia to 2028. It provides a 10-year vision for improving the lives of all Western Australians through quality end-of-life and palliative care. Priority areas aim to guide and inspire public, private, community and non-government health sectors to partner for the provision of best-practice end-of-life and palliative care for the next ten years. This includes the delivery of specialist and non-specialist teams providing end-of-life and palliative care. The identified priority areas from 2018-2028 are: 1. Care is accessible to everyone, everywhere. 2. Care is person-centred. 3. Care is coordinated. 4. Families and carers are supported. 5. All staff are prepared to care. 6. The community is aware and able to care. The Strategy recognises that end-of-life and palliative care is focused on improving a person’s quality of life and that palliative care is more than terminal care. This includes raising public awareness and normalising death as part of life. The strategy can be viewed at: https://ww2.health.wa.gov.au//WA%20End-of-life%20and%20Pal This document was one of the strategies and care recommendations discussed at last year's Palliative Care Summit. The summit aimed to shape how WA puts into practice the strategies and recommendations from the My Life My Choice report, WA End of Life and Palliative Care Strategy 2018-2028 and the Sustainable Health Review. Representatives from Ambulance Wish Western Australia’s volunteer Management Committee participated in the summit, and since, have attended further WA palliative care events, as part of its mission to provide the highest quality care for its wish recipients and the charity’s integration into the palliative care sector.