He's always had your back, now he needs your help!

Have you:

• Ever needed an ambulance?

• Ever been to the beach in Lorne or down the Surf Coast in Victoria?

• Ever done your Bronze Medallion?

• Ever swum in the Pier to Pub?

• Ever been to Falls Festival?

• Ever been to the Royal Melbourne Show?

• Ever ridden in Amy’s Gran Fondo?

If you answered yes to any of the questions above, James Carew has always had your back as a professional paramedic, volunteer lifesaver and a trained lifeguard…..now he needs your help!!

Here’s why….

In recent weeks, doing what he loved, our mate James’ life changed in a split second. Whilst skiing at Mount Hotham, James had a life changing accident. This injury will see him permanently wheelchair-bound and unable to continue his employment as a frontline paramedic in Victoria.

James sustained multiple injuries, the most significant of which being a T11 fracture and incomplete spinal cord damage (ASIA T12 B) which has left him paralysed from the waist down.

Why we need your help?

James now starts his new journey and moving forward he is faced with significant challenges. James’ earning capacity has been impacted by this accident and he will be required to take a period of unpaid leave. James does not have a partner who can share the load and ongoing living and medical expenses add up quickly. He recently learnt that his rental apartment is not fit for purpose or wheelchair accessible and will require him to find more suitable permanent accommodation.

All monies raised will go directly to James to support him with improving his quality of life and will help to minimise the financial strain. James will be eligible to receive NDIS funding for some specific items such as home modifications and medical costs, however, this will not cover everything. We want to see James get back to living the fulfilling life he is destined for, whilst removing some of his financial burden.

James has spent so much of his life supporting the community. It would be great to see if we could rally around him during his time of need.

All donations are appreciated so we can help James move forward with his life.

About James

James is 36 years old and is known to many as ‘Jimmy’ or ‘Jim’. He grew up in a small country town just outside of Colac, Victoria on a dairy farm with a supportive family and good country values. Throughout his life, James has dedicated himself to helping others.

James has been one of the most committed members of the Lorne Surf Lifesaving Club over the last 23 years, spending thousands of hours voluntarily patrolling the beach at Lorne. He’s been instrumental in several rescues and successful resuscitations. For the last 15 years he has held vital leadership positions in the club running countless training camps, assessments and requalification’s. He campaigned for, and secured better resourcing and medical equipment at Lorne, including public access defibrillators. James was a member of the Lorne IRB Racing team including being the team manager and coach. He regularly officiates IRB Carnivals at both a State and National level, including coordinating the winter racing series in Victoria. Even from his rehabilitation centre, James is still volunteering his time for Life Saving Victoria assisting with the flood response around Victoria as a qualified drone operator and flight planner.

James’ selfless passion for the community led him to studying and becoming a qualified advanced life support paramedic in Victoria, Australia where he is currently employed and he worked tirelessly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and placed himself at significant risk for his community. Whilst James will no longer be able to respond to emergencies on the road as a paramedic, he hopes to continue his fulfilling work in other roles.

James is also a hands-on director of a successful event medical company, providing first aid services for major public events such as ‘Run for the Kids’, The Royal Melbourne Show and many music festivals. His work ethic and high standards meant that his medical teams were comprised of highly experienced health professionals. One of James’ values was to employ and contribute to the development of student paramedics, nurses, and junior doctors by providing them with valuable, real-world experience and mentorship in their chosen fields. During this time, James was also involved in publishing medical research and trials which further contributed to the medical and event first aid field.

The Accident

On the 10th August 2022, James was skiing at Mount Hotham with his brother Darcy. James skied into some man-made snow, breaking his leg in multiple places and falling down a steep embankment. During the fall, James hyper-flexed his back, which caused a fracture at the T11 vertebrae and damage to his spinal cord. When he came to a stop, he was unable to move his legs. He remained conscious for the fall and during the difficult and painful extrication, which took about an hour to complete with the assistance of multiple emergency crews.

James was airlifted from Mount Hotham by Ambulance Victoria to the Royal Melbourne Hospital where he spent 6 days in ICU and underwent 3 surgeries to his spine and broken leg. He was then moved to the Austin Hospital for a further 3 weeks before being transferred to where he is currently at the Royal Talbot Spinal Rehabilitation Centre. James’s rehabilitation is anticipated to take approximately 3 months as an inpatient, before being able to find a home and live independently. We anticipate that it will be at least 6 months before he can return to work in a new capacity.