In 2023 alone, the Local HERO Foundation answered 92 emergency calls, and logged 86 mission hours to rural and remote areas. Our helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) remains the only one in our region, providing critical care and rapid transport when time matters most. Thanks to our 24/7 readiness, advanced night vision capabilities, and skilled crew, we’ve ensured those living and working in our region get the urgent medical help they need, no matter where they are.
But we can’t do this alone.
Your support is what keeps HERO 1 flying and saving lives. Every donation allows us to respond quickly, especially in areas where ground transport isn’t an option, where access to healthcare is limited, and where saving time will make a difference. With each flight, we see the tangible, life-changing difference that our donors make possible. Without you, we wouldn’t be able to deliver this essential service. Thank you for your ongoing support!
Let me share Susan’s story, a reminder of the incredible impact your generosity has on people right here in our community…
HERO 1 heading out on an emergency scene call, on a cool winters day.
Local HERO delivers 24/7/365 emergency helicopter services for the people of Northeastern Alberta.
I had the privilege of meeting Susan at an event where I was showcasing the Local HERO Foundation. With a warm smile and a sparkle in her eye, Susan introduced herself and shared that she had been one of our medevac service recipients. My immediate response was, “I’m so sorry to hear that, but I’m grateful HERO could be there for you in your time of need.”
She recounted the harrowing story of what began as a planned joyful weekend trip of Christmas Markets and shopping with friends that took a sudden, terrifying turn. As she told i – with her trademark humor, which I’ve come to know as just “Susan being Susan” – she took me right to that typical icy November day in northern Alberta, where a simple drive that we are all so familiar with, nearly changed her life forever.
It was a typical northern winter, with snow and some icy rain, as Susan and her three friends set off for the weekend, armed with hot chocolate and the warmth of each other’s company. Their SUV was filled with gifts and supplies, including a few jars of homemade pickles destined for family and friends, a detail that would take on an unexpected significance later.
Due to the road conditions, travel was slower. As they made their way up an incline, the car suddenly started to slide. In seconds, they lost control, spinning into the path of an oncoming vehicle. The collision was fierce, striking the front passenger side, right where Susan sat. She remembers a blinding flash, the jumbled sounds of voices around her, and the smell of something strangely familiar.
Amid the chaos, she heard her friend frantically trying to “put her brains back in her head” before they all realized it was only pickles, shattered and strewn everywhere in the impact. But beneath the laughter Susan shares now, the moment was anything but funny. It was a true emergency, with life and limb at stake.
Thankfully, the Local HERO medevac team was dispatched immediately and the paramedics got to work swiftly. Though Susan recalls trying to wave off the neck brace, the team was resolute in their care. They immobilized her carefully, knowing that her injuries could be far more severe than she realized. Out of true concern, Susan recalls asking if she had spilled her hot chocolate. The paramedics laughed, relieved to know what it was and telling her they had almost called in “a code brown”!
Her three friends were taken by ground ambulance, all suffering from concussions and minor injuries. But for Susan, the situation was more serious. She had sustained multiple broken ribs and a shoulder injury, injuries that could have escalated drastically on a long, bumpy ground transfer from Marianna Lakes. Thanks to the Local HERO medevac helicopter, Susan was swiftly flown to a higher level of care, minimizing her pain and improving her overall outcome.
While Susan may not credit HERO with “saving her life,” she firmly believes that the helicopter absolutely improved her recovery and potentially prevented more serious internal injuries. Without the medevac, her story could have ended very differently.
“It is a day I won’t forget and I will forever be grateful for HERO and the amazing paramedics that day.”
It’s stories like Susan’s that inspire our work every day. With the support of friends like you, we continue to provide this life-saving service, ensuring that those in critical need receive the rapid response and expert care they deserve. Please consider donating to the Local HERO Foundation to help us be there for more people like Susan when they need it most.
Be that hero!
Donate now before it is too late to claim your 2024 charitable tax receipt.
