Without the chopper I would have had a very low chance of getting to help in time.” – Ty Hauwert
Fifteen-year-old Ty Hauwert knew his mum, Andrea, had headed out early to repair a fence on their property at Oakdean, near Ogmore. Wanting to lend a hand, he jumped on his motorbike. Somewhere along the way, he crashed.
“I don’t remember how or why,” Ty says. “All I remember is waking up and knowing I had to get home and get help.”
Battered and seriously injured, Ty walked nearly a kilometre back to the house and told his sister, Sophie, to call their mum. When the local ambulance officer arrived, he recognised how critical Ty’s condition was—and called for CapRescue.
“When I saw Ty, I knew straight away how serious it was,” Andrea recalls. “His face and the left side of his body had taken the full impact. The CapRescue crew flew in quickly, moved Ty onto an inflatable mattress, and prepared us for the flight.”
Ty was flown to Rockhampton Hospital, where doctors made the decision to transfer him immediately to Queensland Children’s Hospital in Brisbane. His injuries included:
It was a confronting time for the entire family. While Andrea accompanied Ty on the flight, his siblings remained at home with a family friend, and his dad made a frantic dash from Moranbah.
After a week and a half in hospital, a second surgery in Brisbane, and months of physiotherapy and occupational therapy, Ty was cleared to get back on the bike just 25 weeks later.
Now, Ty and his family are finding their own way to give back.
“We’ve been making a cactus sculpture out of horseshoes,” he says. “We’re hoping to raffle or auction it at the local campdraft this July to raise funds for CapRescue.”
This is the Hauwert family’s way of saying thanks—and they hope it inspires others to help too. You can make a real difference by donating to CapRescue’s Annual Appeal today. caprescue.org.au/donate