Melton mother Julie Wilson will forever wonder if her son’s life could have been saved if paramedics had been able to reach him sooner.
GRIEVING Melton mother Julie Wilson says she will spend the rest of her life asking herself, what if?
What if an ambulance had reached her 18-year-old son sooner – would he still be alive?
She will never know.
Brodie Wilson’s girlfriend called an ambulance at 2.47am on June 29 because he was having trouble breathing.
Ms Wilson said Brodie had been asthmatic since he was a child.
With no ambulances available in Melton, Bacchus Marsh or Hillside, the closest vehicle was in Sunbury.
Paramedics arrived at 3.14am. At 3.33am, Brodie went into cardiac arrest.
He was taken to The Alfred hospital and put on life support. Three days later, the life support was turned off. Doctors said the cause of death was exacerbated asthma.
Ms Wilson said her son had been let down.
“He deserved to have an ambulance ready when he needed it, like everybody does who lives here, and I just feel that the system failed him,” she said. “I’m so frustrated and angry that there was no ambulance in a town that he grew up in from a baby.’’
Melton has two 24-hour ambulances. There is one 24-hour vehicle in Bacchus Marsh.
But Melton paramedic Aaron Riding said Melton was often without local ambulance coverage, with crews regularly called out to other areas.
“On multiple occasions we have been the only crew left, covering Melton, Bacchus Marsh and surrounding areas,” he said.
‘‘That represents a huge black hole in the west … these critically ill patients are left waiting more than 20 minutes for an emergency ambulance.”
Ambulance Victoria acting regional manager Tess Tuohey said records showed crews were responding to other emergency cases at the time of the first call.
‘‘We dispatched the nearest advanced life support paramedics from Sunbury, as well as mobile intensive care ambulance paramedics,’’ she said.
Ms Tuohey said resources had recently been boosted at Bacchus Marsh, Caroline Springs, Tarneit and Melton, with more to be added in Melton and Werribee early next year.
Ms Wilson said she didn’t want Brodie’s death to be for nothing.
“I don’t want any parent in Melton, or anywhere, to have to go through what I’m going through,” she said.
“It’s something no parent should have to experience. From a young child, Brodie showed signs of a funny sense of humour with no shortage of different facial expressions and a beautiful smile that would melt your heart. Now all I have is memories of my beautiful son.”
