Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
So, as I mentioned a little while ago, there has
been a go fund Me page set up for a
beautiful Northern Territory family. Now the lives of the beloved,
humble and community spirited family changed forever. On Australia Day,
dedicated fishing enthusiast Charles, Mary Lou and two of their
three sons headed east from rural Darwin bound for a
(00:21):
day's fishing at Shady Camp. Their honest sweeping bend is
what the go fund me page sees, and in a
monsooner downpour, an oncoming car hit them head on. Now,
when that car came to rest, Willard, aged eleven, and
his elder brother Stirling sixteen, both unaware of their serious injuries,
(00:43):
they fought to help their parents and make the vehicle safe.
The remoteness of their location delayed help. And critically injured
Mary Lou and Charles were eventually freed by emergency services
and taken to Royal Darwin Hospital. It's there that they
fought for their life in ICU before they were stable
enough to be flown to Perth for more specialist care.
(01:06):
Now Charles had suffered multiple broken bones, including spinal injuries.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
In his neck and back.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Mary Lou was in a coma, her major head trauma
resulting in severe brain injury. She underwent two emergency life
saving surgeries in those first twenty four hours. Now joining
me on the line to tell us more about this beautiful,
beautiful family is well. I have got CareFlight Chief Aircrew Officer,
(01:34):
Kurt Pride. Good morning to you, Kurt.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
Good to be with you, Katie.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Kurt, thanks so much for your time. Mate. Firstly, tell
me how do you know this incredible family.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
I've been lucky enough to work with Chuck for nearly
ten years in the top end. So firstly, when I
moved to Katherine nearly ten years ago to take up
a position as an acrew officer with the ADA BLAF
rescue helicopter down there.
Speaker 4 (02:03):
The contracted one, Chuck took me in as one of
his own, and so did the family, and I've been
close to them since that point. We now both work
for CareFlight Ian Darwin.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
Chuck is one of our training aircre officers and now
me as the chief air crew Officer. So you've been
very close to the family for all that time, mate.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
They sound like an incredible family, a real territory family
and really huge part of the community.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Very much a humbled, community minded family. Lou Downing Catherine
was in the CWA, She was a counselor for young
breastfeeding mothers. She was a footy team manager at swamp Dogs.
As we speak. Chuck with a medic with the local
footy team swamp Dogs as well, and obviously his career
(02:56):
spanned eighteen years across the top end end of the
aircre officer to certainly dedicated his career to very community based.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
Work.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
Later on Australia Day, their lives changed forever. How are
they going, Yes, the.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Long long road, Katie. They are fighting, fit, young family
and surrounded by the like as well with their family,
so yeah, they're in for a long road. Lou's making
some small progressions here in Perth and Chuck's. We're just
(03:38):
about to transition to the rehab phase for Chuck down
here in Perth. The boys are getting well looked after,
Bill and Maureen, their grandparents Mary. Lou's parents relocated from
Catherine to Perth. We secured him a house down here
as well, and we're just starting the homeschooling phase through
their school in the Northern Territory. So yeah, the fight
(04:00):
is on mate.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
I know you said, you know the boys are being
well looked after, but how are they going.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
They yeah, they're getting there. They know that mum and
dad are still in critical conditions in hospital. They're getting
the support by allied health professionals down here. They're very
positive family and that's spread through them through the McGregor's
shore and O'Keefe family. So yeah, they had some tough days,
(04:30):
but overall they're very positive people and then fighting for
mum and dad as well.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
I'm looking at some photos of them.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
They look like an absolutely beautiful family, like they look
like a.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
True territory family.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
I can see a photo of the boys with their
head gear on, you know, ready to play footy.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
They look like incredible people.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
And I know that the community has absolutely dug deep
to try and help them. Right, So this go fundme
page is being set up. Tell me what these funds
really are for, so.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
The community help in this. It's only been twenty four
hours and you've seen what the page has done, and
it's amazing. It's going to go towards secure and sort
of the boys' future. Where we sit now, their schooling
still continues, living still happen, so it's just to help
the grandparents and help the boys get through day to
(05:27):
day life as we spend most of our days in
hospital with Chuck and Luz. So yeah, food for the boys,
schooling for the boys, clothing for the boys while we
go through this tough time.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
Now, this page was set up, by the look of it, yesterday,
if I'm right, it's been up for one day and
it has already raised one hundred and twenty seven thousand dollars.
If that doesn't show you the kind of family this is,
and I don't know.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
What will exactly right in every corner of this of Australia,
they've touched people. Us, as I said, spent eighteen years
in the top end of an air c officer on
rescue helicopters. The also spent time down in Canberra as well,
and he was in the Army before that. But the
(06:17):
help and the assistance has come out of the top
end is just amazing and has surpassed anything we thought
we'd ever get to with that go fum me page.
At first, they're very as I said, very humbled people.
They were very shy on sort of putting it out there.
But as we sort of encourage s Chuck through the process.
(06:38):
It's to help the boys and his focus, his number
one focus, or these top three focuses, is the boys,
the boys and the boys, and that's what he stresses
to me every day.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
And you know what, those boys need their mum and dad,
and they need their mum and dad to be able
to focus on their recovery and not having to worry about,
you know, about where you're finding money when you're not
able to work is.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
A huge thing, absolutely huge. And obviously they're away from
their friends, they're in a state so far from the
top end. So to get that help for them, he's
just awesome.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
They tell me, Kurt, you've been there with somere like
where to now on the road to recovery.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
Yeah, So Mary Lou's on award now receiving treatment for
her head injury. We're getting small progressions with her. They're
going to be in hot hospital for a long long time.
Charles is stally nice to you here at Royal Perth.
Next for him is going to go to Fiona Stanley
(07:43):
Hospital just south of the city and what they offer
down there is the full spinal rehab, so that's where
he will be set up for the suceeeable future and
twelve plus months we expect to be they're doing his
rehab plan.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
Mate. Obviously, anybody can jump online, they can donate to
help support the McGregor shore Boys, and that is exactly
what they need to search if they go onto that
go fund me page, help support the McGregor Shure Boys. Kurt,
pass on our love to the family. Let them know
that the whole of the Northern Territory is thinking of them.
(08:22):
I think that they you know, they may already know
that based on these donations that are flowing through, but
it is just a heart wrenching situation that they've been through.
I cannot even imagine what it's like for this little family.
And let them know that, you know, we are really
praying for a full recovery. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
No, I well, and appreciate the time on three sixty
as well, Katie.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Yeah anytime, mate, thank you so much for having a
chat with us. And yeah, as I said, we're all
thinking of them and really hoping that they make you know,
a quick recovery and a full recovery, absolutely and.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
We get them back to the territory where they want
to be.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
Yeah, I reckon sounds like those that footy team is
going to fully be missing them as well.
Speaker 4 (09:08):
Kirt absolutely three players, a team manager.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
In the medic's Sure Sure Is Well Care flight chief
aircrew officer Kurt Pride.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
I really appreciate you talking to me this morning. Thanks mate,
Thanks Katie, thank you
So, as I mentioned a little while ago, there has
been a go fund Me page set up for a
beautiful Northern Territory family. Now the lives of the beloved,
humble and community spirited family changed forever. On Australia Day,
dedicated fishing enthusiast Charles, Mary Lou and two of their
three sons headed east from rural Darwin bound for a
(00:21):
day's fishing at Shady Camp. Their honest sweeping bend is
what the go fund me page sees, and in a
monsooner downpour, an oncoming car hit them head on. Now,
when that car came to rest, Willard, aged eleven, and
his elder brother Stirling sixteen, both unaware of their serious injuries,
(00:43):
they fought to help their parents and make the vehicle safe.
The remoteness of their location delayed help. And critically injured
Mary Lou and Charles were eventually freed by emergency services
and taken to Royal Darwin Hospital. It's there that they
fought for their life in ICU before they were stable
enough to be flown to Perth for more specialist care.
(01:06):
Now Charles had suffered multiple broken bones, including spinal injuries.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
In his neck and back.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Mary Lou was in a coma, her major head trauma
resulting in severe brain injury. She underwent two emergency life
saving surgeries in those first twenty four hours. Now joining
me on the line to tell us more about this beautiful,
beautiful family is well. I have got CareFlight Chief Aircrew Officer,
(01:34):
Kurt Pride. Good morning to you, Kurt.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
Good to be with you, Katie.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Kurt, thanks so much for your time. Mate. Firstly, tell
me how do you know this incredible family.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
I've been lucky enough to work with Chuck for nearly
ten years in the top end. So firstly, when I
moved to Katherine nearly ten years ago to take up
a position as an acrew officer with the ADA BLAF
rescue helicopter down there.
Speaker 4 (02:03):
The contracted one, Chuck took me in as one of
his own, and so did the family, and I've been
close to them since that point. We now both work
for CareFlight Ian Darwin.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
Chuck is one of our training aircre officers and now
me as the chief air crew Officer. So you've been
very close to the family for all that time, mate.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
They sound like an incredible family, a real territory family
and really huge part of the community.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Very much a humbled, community minded family. Lou Downing Catherine
was in the CWA, She was a counselor for young
breastfeeding mothers. She was a footy team manager at swamp Dogs.
As we speak. Chuck with a medic with the local
footy team swamp Dogs as well, and obviously his career
(02:56):
spanned eighteen years across the top end end of the
aircre officer to certainly dedicated his career to very community based.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
Work.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
Later on Australia Day, their lives changed forever. How are
they going, Yes, the.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Long long road, Katie. They are fighting, fit, young family
and surrounded by the like as well with their family,
so yeah, they're in for a long road. Lou's making
some small progressions here in Perth and Chuck's. We're just
(03:38):
about to transition to the rehab phase for Chuck down
here in Perth. The boys are getting well looked after,
Bill and Maureen, their grandparents Mary. Lou's parents relocated from
Catherine to Perth. We secured him a house down here
as well, and we're just starting the homeschooling phase through
their school in the Northern Territory. So yeah, the fight
(04:00):
is on mate.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
I know you said, you know the boys are being
well looked after, but how are they going.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
They yeah, they're getting there. They know that mum and
dad are still in critical conditions in hospital. They're getting
the support by allied health professionals down here. They're very
positive family and that's spread through them through the McGregor's
shore and O'Keefe family. So yeah, they had some tough days,
(04:30):
but overall they're very positive people and then fighting for
mum and dad as well.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
I'm looking at some photos of them.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
They look like an absolutely beautiful family, like they look
like a.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
True territory family.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
I can see a photo of the boys with their
head gear on, you know, ready to play footy.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
They look like incredible people.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
And I know that the community has absolutely dug deep
to try and help them. Right, So this go fundme
page is being set up. Tell me what these funds
really are for, so.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
The community help in this. It's only been twenty four
hours and you've seen what the page has done, and
it's amazing. It's going to go towards secure and sort
of the boys' future. Where we sit now, their schooling
still continues, living still happen, so it's just to help
the grandparents and help the boys get through day to
(05:27):
day life as we spend most of our days in
hospital with Chuck and Luz. So yeah, food for the boys,
schooling for the boys, clothing for the boys while we
go through this tough time.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
Now, this page was set up, by the look of it, yesterday,
if I'm right, it's been up for one day and
it has already raised one hundred and twenty seven thousand dollars.
If that doesn't show you the kind of family this is,
and I don't know.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
What will exactly right in every corner of this of Australia,
they've touched people. Us, as I said, spent eighteen years
in the top end of an air c officer on
rescue helicopters. The also spent time down in Canberra as well,
and he was in the Army before that. But the
(06:17):
help and the assistance has come out of the top
end is just amazing and has surpassed anything we thought
we'd ever get to with that go fum me page.
At first, they're very as I said, very humbled people.
They were very shy on sort of putting it out there.
But as we sort of encourage s Chuck through the process.
(06:38):
It's to help the boys and his focus, his number
one focus, or these top three focuses, is the boys,
the boys and the boys, and that's what he stresses
to me every day.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
And you know what, those boys need their mum and dad,
and they need their mum and dad to be able
to focus on their recovery and not having to worry about,
you know, about where you're finding money when you're not
able to work is.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
A huge thing, absolutely huge. And obviously they're away from
their friends, they're in a state so far from the
top end. So to get that help for them, he's
just awesome.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
They tell me, Kurt, you've been there with somere like
where to now on the road to recovery.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
Yeah, So Mary Lou's on award now receiving treatment for
her head injury. We're getting small progressions with her. They're
going to be in hot hospital for a long long time.
Charles is stally nice to you here at Royal Perth.
Next for him is going to go to Fiona Stanley
(07:43):
Hospital just south of the city and what they offer
down there is the full spinal rehab, so that's where
he will be set up for the suceeeable future and
twelve plus months we expect to be they're doing his
rehab plan.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
Mate. Obviously, anybody can jump online, they can donate to
help support the McGregor shore Boys, and that is exactly
what they need to search if they go onto that
go fund me page, help support the McGregor Shure Boys. Kurt,
pass on our love to the family. Let them know
that the whole of the Northern Territory is thinking of them.
(08:22):
I think that they you know, they may already know
that based on these donations that are flowing through, but
it is just a heart wrenching situation that they've been through.
I cannot even imagine what it's like for this little family.
And let them know that, you know, we are really
praying for a full recovery. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
No, I well, and appreciate the time on three sixty
as well, Katie.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Yeah anytime, mate, thank you so much for having a
chat with us. And yeah, as I said, we're all
thinking of them and really hoping that they make you know,
a quick recovery and a full recovery, absolutely and.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
We get them back to the territory where they want
to be.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
Yeah, I reckon sounds like those that footy team is
going to fully be missing them as well.
Speaker 4 (09:08):
Kirt absolutely three players, a team manager.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
In the medic's Sure Sure Is Well Care flight chief
aircrew officer Kurt Pride.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
I really appreciate you talking to me this morning. Thanks mate,
Thanks Katie, thank you
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