Ian’s Final Flight
In the last six-months of Ian Sutur’s life, there were only three occasions which his family saw him smile.
And they were all because of you.
Ian had grown increasingly frail in end-of-life, and as a result was often unable to show facial emotion. Thanks to your support of the Flying Doctor Memory Lane program, something remarkable happened: the moment he was told he’d be visiting his beloved ‘aero club’ and saw his old aeromodelling jacket laid out for his trip, his face lit up with a beaming smile, one dearly missed by his wife and three children.
You see, Ian was a deeply kind and humble man who had spent more than forty years devoted to the Melton Model Aircraft Association, teaching, mentoring and sharing his passion for aviation. When the Memory Lane team transported him back to the club, safely and comfortably in our purpose-built vehicle, he quietly admitted he feared no one would be there upon his arrival.
He could not have been more wrong.
Fifty people were waiting to welcome him: friends, club members and family all together, with an array of his beloved model planes presented.
His family expected him to last no more than 10 minutes.
He was there for three hours, soaking up every minute.
In fact, he even gave an impromptu speech – something no one had anticipated he would feel up to.
Your generosity ensured this wasn’t simply a transfer from hospital to club. Our three volunteers stayed with Ian, kept him comfortable, listened to his stories, shared in the celebration and helped him connect with the people he loved.
The impact of that day stayed with him for the final three-months of his life. He wore his aeromodelling club jacket proudly. He built the model RFDS plane that had been gifted to him — refusing help because he wanted to “do it properly.”
And every night, he slept with the soft blue Memory Lane blanket gifted to him.
He cherished that blanket, and what it meant to him, so deeply that he asked to be buried with it.
Richard, Ian’s son, describes that Memory Lane journey as “the jewel in the crown” of Ian’s final months, a moment of dignity, recognition and joy that cannot be measured.
“The most significant moment of my dad’s last years of his life was created by the Royal Flying Doctor Service,” Richard shared.
You made that happen.
Thank you for giving people in end-of-life care, like Ian, a lasting memory. One meaningful day that lives on in the memories of cherished friends and families. Your generosity brings comfort, joy and dignity when it matters most.
What is Flying Doctor Memory Lane?
Memory Lane is a no-cost service that supports patients in end-of-life care to visit a place of personal significance; to admire their own garden, to feel the breeze of the seaside, or to be surrounded by their loved ones and pets in their final days.
The service is entirely donor-funded and staffed by medically trained health care professionals who volunteer their time.