When a person’s heart or lungs fail, every second is critical, and an ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) life support machine can be the only thing standing between life and death.
This innovative machine is an extraordinary life support device that temporarily takes over the function of the heart and lungs, allowing the patient’s organs the time to rest and heal.
“It’s amazing technology and saves the lives of patients who otherwise would have unfortunately succumbed to their illnesses,” said Dr. James Winearls, Gold Coast University Hospital Intensive Care Specialist and ECMO Consultant.
Once confined to hospital walls, this lifesaving technology is now on the move, delivered directly to patients through a dedicated Mobile ECMO Service vehicle, bringing expert care to those without local access. Funded by the Gold Coast Hospital Foundation through a generous donation from Sheila and Bernard’s Life Saving Medical Equipment Fund, with support from Hinterland Toyota, this, custom fitted vehicle is the first of its kind in Queensland.
“Having a dedicated ECMO vehicle is helping us reduce the time it takes to reach these critically ill patients. ECMO is often their last hope, and the sooner we can place them on ECMO support, the better their chances of survival,” said Dr. James Winearls.
Hinterland Toyota Dealer Principal Ben Duncan, Julian Rippin Group Fleet Manager and Breeze Hue Marketing, Communications, Brand & Loyalty Manager were thrilled to hand the keys over to Joe and Christine at their Robina dealership.
Since the donation of the dedicated vehicle, the Mobile ECMO Service has helped more than 20 critically ill patients who were fighting for their lives, traveling within a 300km radius across Queensland and into New South Wales. For trips outside that radius, the vehicle transports the team and vital medical equipment to the airport for aeromedical support.
“We drive wherever we’re needed, from Tweed Heads to Toowoomba, even further. We know every second counts. Having a dedicated vehicle has changed everything, dramatically improving response times and patient outcomes,” said Ellen Stokes Gold Coast Health Clinical Nurse Consultant.
In a powerful testament to the life-saving capability of the Mobile ECMO Service, the team achieved the unthinkable, saving two lives in a single run.
It began with a call to Tweed ICU. A critically ill patient was in urgent need of ECMO support, and the mobile team hit the road. But just ten minutes into the trip, another call came in, this time from Ballina. A second patient, also in respiratory failure, needed ECMO. Fast.
With no time to spare, the team sprang into action. The second patient was redirected to Tweed, and the van – already loaded with one full ECMO setup – was swiftly repacked to accommodate a second, including three ECMO Consultants and two ECMO nurses.
“Thanks to the Foundation’s donation of essential medical equipment for the retrieval vehicle, we had everything we needed, and the van’s custom fit allowed for everything to travel safely, including five of our team,” said Ellen.
Dr James Winearls GC Health ICU Specialist and Clinical Lead for the ECMO Service and Ellen Stokes GC Health Clinical Nurse Consultant for the ECMO Service are extremely grateful for the community support that has made this specialised vehicle possible.
What unfolded was a first for the Gold Coast ECMO team: two patients placed on ECMO in the same ICU setting. It was an extraordinary moment, unprecedented and intense. “Knowing we had two patients, and their families were relying on us to save their loved ones, made me a little nervous, but once we got in the rooms, we assumed our roles and worked together as a team with a shared goal to give each patient a fighting chance,” said Ellen.
With both patients safely placed on ECMO, the journey wasn’t over, it had only just begun. Two ambulances formed a convoy, with the Mobile ECMO vehicle in the middle, ready to respond if anything went wrong on the road.
It was a high-stakes transfer, but both patients made it safely to Gold Coast University Hospital, where they continue to fight for their lives.
Thanks to the Gold Coast Hospital Foundation, one family was also provided emergency accommodation, so they can stay close, hold on to hope, and be there for their loved one every step of the way.
The ECMO team out in the community saving lives with the help of the Mobile ECMO Vehicle.
So much hard work has gone into making the ECMO service what it is today, and so many lives have been saved thanks to the team and their commitment to ensuring better patient outcomes. The Gold Coast University Hospital team now has nearly 60 trained ECMO nurses and eight ECMO consultants.
“I’ve been part of it since 2015, and I’m incredibly proud of how far we’ve come. None of this would have been possible without the generous donations to the Gold Coast Hospital Foundation, which have funded an ECMO training mannequin, essential medical equipment for the retrieval vehicle, and the vehicle itself. We’re truly humbled by the community support behind us, including the Sheila and Bernard’s Life Saving Medical Equipment Fund and from local businesses like Hinterland Toyota,” said Ellen.
When asked what moments stay with them, it’s not the technical wins, it’s the people. “What really matters is when a patient comes back to visit us. Just to say thank you. That’s what reminds you why you do this.”
And to the donors, to the community, to the ones who made the mobile ECMO van a reality, the message is simple and heartfelt: “Thank you. You’ve helped us reach people faster. You’ve helped save lives. You’ve made a real difference, not just to our patients, but to our whole team.”
The ECMO Team training on the ECMO Mannequin funded by the Gold Coast Hospital Foundation, some of the ECMO nurses and consultants with 19-year-old ECMO patient Amelia when she came back to visit her life-saving team, and the ECMO Training Mannequin