Sometimes, when the sun is shining again, we’re quick to forget the storm that brought us our darkest days, but Shepparton’s Brett and Annette Gallagher remember and will forever be grateful for the system that turned their weather fair.
That system is the health system. Their storm: a flesh-eating virus that could’ve taken Mr Gallagher’s life.
This is why the couple have included hospitals that have helped them throughout their lives in their wills.
The Alfred approached them about its Gifts in Wills program, and Mr and Mrs Gallagher said it was a no-brainer to accept the invitation.
“Hospitals all struggle; we’ve dealt with COVID for two or three years; you can’t always rely on the government with our taxes, so sometimes a bit extra helps, and that’s where we were coming from,” Mr Gallagher said.
“Our generation, where is our money going to go? Our children will probably have homes, so why not work it into your will?”
“A lot of people are very happy often with the outcomes and the way a hospital is run, but once they leave, they forget about it,” Mrs Gallagher said.
Even though he could have lost his dominant arm, or worse, died, Mr Gallagher didn’t at first take the injury he’s now fully recovered from too seriously.
He had driven back to Shepparton from working in Melbourne unwell, presented to the emergency department at Goulburn Valley Health and was immediately flown back to the state’s capital.
The Alfred had only recently learned to manage the virus Mr Gallagher had in the early 2000s after it had been presented with a similar case just weeks before he fell ill.
“I was fortunate that The Alfred worked together with our regional hospital,” Mr Gallagher said.
“As far as an injury it was very minor on a working site, compared to lots of injuries I’ve had, but it had a consequence.”
Mrs Gallagher said her husband thought nothing of it at the time, despite learning later that it had a potentially fatal outcome.
The family have lived in Shepparton for more than 40 years after a brief stint in Melbourne, after moving there from their home town of Nathalia.
Mr Gallagher’s medical emergency, where he had to spend days in a hyperbaric chamber at The Alfred, wasn’t the only one for which the family had needed the care provided by one of our city-based hospitals.
The couple’s eldest daughter was born with complications, and she was gravely ill for the first five days of her life. Many years later, she went on to give birth prematurely to her own daughter, who also needed specialised care for three months at The Royal Women’s Hospital.
“We thought, if we’re gifting to The Alfred, then we’d like to give to the Royal Women’s Hospital too because our daughter was in there,” Mr Gallagher said.
The giving couple are just two from an entire family of humanitarians, with nurses throughout, and three daughters in their 40s who’ve found their callings helping others.
Their eldest, now thriving, as is her prematurely born daughter, runs Lifeline in Bendigo.
The Gallaghers’ middle daughter has lived in Canada for the past 12 years and does social work in the disabled housing sector, while their youngest spent five years helping adopted and homeless people find their families, among other work with the displaced.
Mrs Gallagher — a former nurse herself — said she was a “sucker” when it came to donating to charity, with several monthly direct debits in place to support different causes, and would also regularly donate to annual appeals, supporting organisations such as Doctors Without Borders, Save The Children, The Salvation Army and Lifeline.
“They have me on their hotline, I think,” Mrs Gallagher said with a laugh.
Mr Gallagher said he wasn’t particularly one for donations or a “buyer of tickets”, and that’s why he believed it was important to make pledges in his will.
The humble pair said they didn’t often discuss their intentions with their family and friends, as they weren’t looking to be praised or recognised for their act. Still, they believed it was important for hospitals to get the word out about programs such as The Alfred’s Gifts in Wills.
“I’m sure there are people who bequeath a lot of money,” Mrs Gallagher said.
“I think they (the hospital) do a great job of making you feel like you’ve done something special, but it’s a little bit embarrassing really.”
For years, Mr and Mrs Gallagher have received invitations to morning teas and presentations the hospital puts on for program pledgers. Last year was the first time they attended an event, where they listened to a surgeon speak about the benefits of AI.
“The hospital makes a big deal of it,” Mrs Gallagher said.
“They put on a big spread, do a photo shoot; they have a whole dedicated team for this program,” Mr Gallagher said.
“The staff in all hospitals really are pretty amazing, with what they endure and do,” Mrs Gallagher said.
Mr Gallagher said their main motivation for including the two hospitals in their wills was to return the favour.
“I just think it’s important to give back sometimes instead of constantly taking, which so many people tend to do,” Mrs Gallagher said.
“And try not to forget that they saved your life.”