A tale of two volunteers

Like any training session, the Flying Doctor’s Community Transport new volunteer induction meeting started off normally. However, for Kristian Binet and Barry Cuttriss, this was no ordinary gathering as it became apparent both men had previously met under very serious circumstances.

“I didn’t recognise him initially because we were wearing masks. You know when you know someone but can’t put your finger on it?” Kristian says.

As it turns out, Barry was a patient taken to hospital via an ambulance team in which Kristian was volunteering as a Community Officer on Boxing Day in 2019.

“As I tell the story I was probably the fittest 70 year old around the bowls club still running around kicking footy with the grandkids,” Barry jokes.

Barry explains that he already had a heartbeat that skipped a beat, but it was never an issue. Unfortunately, Barry had a serious heart episode, fallen heavily and an ambulance was called.

“Next thing I knew, Kristian and another worker was there by my side. They took me down to Bendigo Hospital but they couldn’t do the procedure there so they took me down to St Vincent’s.”

Thanks to the efforts of Kristian and his partner, they were able to safely get Barry to hospital where he had an emergency procedure to have a pacemaker put in, which he says has been running beautifully since.

“Obviously, when I had my fall and Kristian arrived I wouldn’t have known who he was. We just started having a chat at the meeting and he was really excited with the outcomes,” Barry explains.

Kristian says you don’t usually get any closure or follow-up unless it’s a bad event.

“I was hoping everything went well for him but that’s all I had. He hasn’t had any dramas since which is amazing and such a good outcome,” he adds.

While their first meeting was under more dramatic circumstances, it was Kristian and Barry’s shared passion for giving back to the community that saw them reunited.

They are two of the newest volunteers to join the Flying Doctor Community Transport service, which expanded to Rochester in March.

The service provides eligible clients with free transport to health appointments and social support group sessions.

For Kristian, who is studying to become a paramedic, it was a natural fit and has given him insight into the critical services that support many rural and remote Victorians who may fall through the gaps in the system.

“Obviously emergency care is there but it’s quite difficult for a lot of elderly people to get to appointments and just to manage their health conditions,” he says.

“It’s nothing for me to drive a few hours but it’s often impossible for them to get to appointments without that.”

Kristian is equally blown away by his fellow volunteers and how much of their time they give back to the community.

 “There are so many people that volunteer in these little towns and often in multiple organisations – they’ll be volunteers as fireries, at the footy club and they’ll run the cricket club and they’ll coach the under-eights,” he says.

“In community transport we have to learn how to drive a specific way and how to interact with people in hospitals and healthcare systems. I can use the time as development and learning but for them it’s totally out of generosity.”

Barry – a Rochester local and a passionate volunteer for more than half a century – fits that description perfectly.

“For 53-odd years I’ve been involved in volunteering in some form – whether it’s coaching, doing the financials, volunteering at the sports museum in Rochy or being the treasurer of various clubs,” he says.

“The Flying Doctor is something in the early days I would not have thought about, but in retirement I can still drive, I’ve got all my licenses and I’ve always done first aid training,” he says.

“It just evolved from initial awareness and now I’m up and about and really enjoying it.”

For those considering volunteering Barry says there’s a lot of positives to be gained if people take the opportunity to look at the options available.  

“Whether it be your local footy club selling pies or helping at the front gate, you can get a lot of enjoyment out of it,” he says.

Similarly, Kristian’s ethos when it comes to volunteering is simple.

“Give a few things a go – you’d be surprised how much personal satisfaction you gain from just having a crack.”