Australian ambulance diverts so dying patient can see the sea

Australian ambulance diverts so dying patient can see the sea
Photo credit: Facebook / Queensland Ambulance Service

An Australian ambulance crew is being praised for their humanity after granting a patient's dying wish, prompting others to come forward with similar heartwarming stories.

The palliative patient told crew she wanted one last glimpse of the sea, The Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) says, as she was being transported to a Brisbane unit from Hervey Bay.

So ahead of the 280km journey, the crew took a small diversion to the beach.

"Sometimes it is not the drugs/training/skills - sometimes all you need is empathy to make a difference," QAS said.

"Tears were shed and the patient felt very happy."

The photo shows the patient, on a stretcher, looking out at the water with a crew member by her side.

It prompted several others to share their experiences of compassion from health care workers.

"Many years ago a very close friend was getting married on the day of her wedding her mother collapsed as she had terminal cancer," one social media user commented.

"The ambulance was called. Instead of the ambulance taking her to hospital they went to the church and wheeled her into the church on a stretcher. She watched her daughter get married, she died a few days later."

Another said a doctor in the palliative care unit brought his father a whiskey - his favourite drink - as he lay dying in bed.

Ambulance workers also shared their personal accounts on the post.

"We detoured from [the patient's] planned route and visited all his childhood haunts, eventually dropping him off at the hospice, where he sadly died the next day," one said.

Another said an elderly man "felt like a little boy again" when he bought him an icecream.

"These are the moments we live for."

Other stories included opening the ambulance doors so a patient could see fireworks, visiting a drive-thru and even simply bringing a patient the newspaper.

Newshub.