St John WA donates an ambulance to support the last wish of terminally ill Western Australians

• St John WA has donated a decommissioned ambulance to Ambulance Wish Western Australia to support fulfilling the final wish of terminally ill, immobile patients,
• Coined the Wish Ambulance, the donation marks the first ambulance donated to Ambulance Wish WA to support the charity’s operations,
• The Wish Ambulance can provide about 350 final wishes each year.

St John WA has donated one of its decommissioned ambulances to Ambulance Wish Western Australia, a recently established charity that aims to provide meaningful and positive end-of-life experiences for terminally ill, immobile Western Australians.

Coined the Wish Ambulance, the vehicle donated by St John WA supports fulfilling the last wish of terminally ill patients by providing the safe and accessible transport required to get immobile patients to their wish destination.

As the first ambulance secured by the charity, the donation from St John WA marked a meaningful milestone in Ambulance Wish WA’s Western Australian operations, allowing the charity to officially commence offering its services. Ambulance Wish WA anticipates the Wish Ambulance can provide about 350 final wishes each year.

St John WA CEO, Michelle Fyfe said the donation acts as an extension of St John WA’s commitment to caring for the Western Australian community.

“Each and every day the staff and volunteers at St John WA support the Western Australian community with their healthcare needs — be it routine or emergency services. The donation of our decommissioned ambulance to Ambulance Wish WA acts as an extension of our care and commitment to supporting patients and the wider Western Australian community,” Ms Fyfe said.

“We anticipate the Wish Ambulance will support hundreds of Western Australians in living out their final wish through meaningful and positive end-of-life experiences. These priceless experiences provide comfort not only to the patients, but also their families by knowing they have supported fulfilling their loved one’s dream,” she said.

Ambulance Wish WA Chair, Susie Wilson said the generous donation from St John WA will support countless final wishes for Western Australians.

“The Wish Ambulance generously donated by St John WA will enable us to make a difference by customising and honouring wishes without the burden of mobility and transport restrictions. Through our service, we aim to celebrate a person’s life and bring comfort to those closest to them – acknowledging that great care includes physical, mental, spiritual support, which often extends beyond the terminally ill patient,” Mrs Wilson said.

Ambulance Wish WA expects to open bookings for its Final Wish services in November 2021.

For more information on Ambulance Wish WA, visit: www.ambulancewishwa.org.au