Ambulance Wish SA

07/01/2026

We’re grateful to We Are. SA for featuring us again and helping share these stories with our community ✨

Every wish we support is shaped by the people who come together to make it possible; families who welcome us into their lives, volunteers who give their time with such care, and partners who help create moments that feel personal and meaningful.

This latest story highlights two recent wishes: Rebecca’s visit to meet the giraffes at Monarto Safari Park, and Sue’s peaceful visit to the Witton Bluff Base Trail at Port Noarlunga. It’s a privilege to stand alongside them and their loved ones during these meaningful moments.

Read more: https://ambulancewishsa.org.au/we-are-sa-shares-ambulance-wish-sa-stories/

SA Government

06/01/2026

The people involved in supporting Wish Recipients, including volunteers, clinicians, photographers, site partners and wish team, help bring every Wish to life.

Here are some of their words and experiences from the heart of a Wish.

Thank you to everyone who supports this work, to our collaboration partners St John Ambulance | SA and Flinders University and to the community donations, corporate sponsors and the SA Government (SA Health ) who make the program possible.

29/12/2025

Looking for a meaningful way to give back this holiday season? ✨
Choose Ambulance Wish SA when you buy a Play For Purpose ticket and help us create final wishes for South Australians nearing end of life.

Play For Purpose is Australia’s 100% not-for-profit community raffle.
Tickets are just $10, with a guaranteed $5 directly supporting Ambulace Wish SA .

Buy your raffle tickets here: https://www.playforpurpose.com.au/ambulance-wish-sa
Limited tickets. Closes 12 March!

24/12/2025

Help Ambulance Wish SA and play for a purpose!

Play For Purpose is Australia’s 100% not-for-profit community raffle that gives you the chance to win great prizes and support the Ambulane Wish SA – it’s a win-win!

Tickets are just $10, with a guaranteed $5 directly supporting Ambulace Wish SA to help us fulfill wishes.

Discover how you can win a prize while making a positive impact. Buy a Play For Purpose ticket today and support a charity close to your heart!

24/12/2025

Antonietta’s Ambulance Wish was fulfilled with a special visit to her family home, surrounded by her loved ones. Ambulance Wish South Australia, in partnership with Central Adelaide Palliative Care Service, made her special Wish come true, creating memories that will last forever for Antonietta and her family. Her journey began in the palliative care unit with “Take Me Home” playing, setting the tone for a meaningful return to the house she and her husband built together and filled with a lifetime of memories.

Inside, the home was calm and cool despite the hot Adelaide day, as everyone shared food, drinks and stories. The walls told the family story, with generations of wedding photographs, baby pictures and treasured experiences that have shaped their lives.

Her daughter Margherita described the home with affection, saying, “This house has many memories and is very homely. We all come here and instantly relax.” The home Antonietta created for everyone!

It takes a Village to fulfill an Ambulance Wish. A Big Thank You to:
Ambulance Wish Team: Sue, Sarah-Jane, Jintumol, Shyla, Alicia, Nick, Karen, Charlotte, Min and Sneha
Palliative Care Service Partner: Central Adelaide Palliative Care Service
Village Captains: Anotnietta and Margherita
Photographer: Russell Millard Photography (partially donated services)
Memory Book Printer: Newstyle Print (partially donated services)
AWSA Lead Organisation: Palliative Care South Australia
AWSA Collaborative Partners: St John Ambulance | SA and Flinders University
AWSA Program Supporter: SA Government, SA Health and The Honourable Chris Picton MP

22/12/2025

Rick’s special Christmas Wish was fulfilled when he spent time with his wife Vivian, creating photographic memories. Thanks to Ambulance Wish South Australia and Eldercare, Rick took part in a heartfelt photo shoot surrounded by family photographs and mementoes that reflect a lifetime of memories. They shared stories from his early years in Launceston, his travels around Australia, and the career that took them to many places overseas and interstate.

A devoted family man, Rick enjoyed babysitting his grandchildren and spending time with his family whenever he could. Vivian described him as a “real people-person” who really loved being around people, whether at work or with family and friends. His room is filled with family photos and collages from earlier days, alongside a treasured photograph from his lifelong dream of watching cricket at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London.

Right before Christmas, Rick and Vivian received their Memory Pack with memory books and a USB with all the images from their Wish day to treasure these special moments together.

Please consider supporting this incredible program and people like Maria by making a donation, becoming a friend of Ambulance Wish SA, donating, fundraising, Paying a Wish Forward or becoming a corporate partner. www.ambulancewishsa.org.au/donate
Our program is proudly supported by community donations, corporate sponsors, and the SA Government (SA Health)

22/12/2025

Maria’s Christmas Wish came true with a festive photo shoot alongside her daughter Penny and the Eldercare team. They spent time together indoors and in the Acacia Court garden, sharing stories about Maria’s early life, her wedding, her journey from Greece, and the years she and her husband ran a Central Market shop.

A devoted wife, mother and grandmother, Maria’s day was filled with smiles. Penny described her as “thoughtful, caring, and graceful.”

Right before Christmas, Maria and Penny received their Memory Pack with multiple memory books and a USB with all the images to treasure these special moments together.

Please consider supporting this incredible program and people like Maria by making a donation, becoming a friend of Ambulance Wish SA, donating, fundraising, Paying a Wish Forward or becoming a corporate partner. www.ambulancewishsa.org.au/donate
Our program is proudly supported by community donations, corporate sponsors, and the SA Government (SA Health)

18/12/2025

Ambulance Wish SA is closed for the holiday break and will reopen Thursday 8 January 2026.
Wishing everyone a joyful and safe holiday season✨

PS: Look out for some of the wishes from this week (including special Christmas Wishes) appearing on your feeds soon!

12/12/2025

On the 9th of December 2025, Darin’s Ambulance Wish was fulfilled when he visited his home, dogs, and garden with his family. Ambulance Wish South Australia, in partnership with Southern Adelaide Palliative Service, made his special wish come true, creating memories that will last forever for Darin and his family.

Arriving in the Wish Ambulance, Darin was welcomed home by his family and dogs.
Spending time looking at the garden, filled with flowers, vegetables, and fruit trees, he playfully teased his family about the ones that had grown too big and should already have been picked.

The walls of their home were adorned with photographs of family and pets, reflecting the many memories woven into their life there.
At the end of the day, Darin’s words captured the feeling so many of us share: “Nothing beats home.”

Please consider supporting this incredible program and people like Darin by making a donation, becoming a friend of Ambulance Wish SA, donating, fundraising, Paying a Wish Forward or becoming a corporate partner. www.ambulancewishsa.org.au/donate

Our program is proudly supported by community donations, corporate sponsors, and the SA Government (SA Health)

05/12/2025

Rebecca’s lifelong love of giraffes found its moment 🦒
On December 1st, she and her husband Kevin fed them carrots at Monarto Safari Park
A joyful wish, shared together.

Read more about her Wish Experience: https://ambulancewishsa.org.au/rebeccas-ambulance-wish/

Luiza Michalewicz Photography

04/12/2025

Sue’s final wish was to visit the wonderful Witton Bluff Base Trail at Port Noarlunga, a place filled with memories from a lifelime spent with her husband Steve.

They wandered the coast, shared an ice cream, and soaked in the beauty of the community they’ve called home for 50 years 💙

With the incredible support of Ambulance Wish SA, she made that journey surrounded by the people she loves most - and of course their doggo, Bunji 🐾

02/12/2025

On the 1st of December 2025, Rebecca’s Ambulance Wish was fulfilled when she and her husband Kevin fed the giraffes at Monarto Safari Park. Ambulance Wish South Australia, in partnership with Southern Adelaide Palliative Service, made her special wish come true, creating memories that will last forever for Rebecca and Kevin.

Arriving in the Wish Ambulance, Rebecca and Kevin were welcomed by the wide-open plains and the chance to spend time with the animals they both love. Their lifelong affection for giraffes has been part of their story for many years, even celebrated at their wedding with a giraffe theme, having a giraffe tattoo and a safari picture pinned to the wall in her hospice room. This Wish gave them the chance to relive that joy together, surrounded once again by the animals they cherish.

During the planning of this Wish the giraffe experts at Monarto Safari Park warned that giraffes can be particularly skittish, especially with the wheels of a stretcher or wheelchair, but the giraffes must have sensed Rebecca’s wish to feed them with her husband and came straight to them. Together Rebecca and Kevin fed carrots to the giraffes, sharing laughter and conversations that brought back fond memories. Among the giraffes was one who lingered the longest with them. His name was “Totsiens,” a South African word meaning “till we meet again.” For Rebecca, this was a special part of the day, a moment that stood out and will be remembered.

The experience was filled with happiness and smiles. Reflecting on the wish, Rebecca said it was “A divinely perfect experience - the most beautiful I have had with giraffes.”

It takes a Village to fulfill an Ambulance Wish. A Big Thank You to:
Ambulance Wish Team: Mel, Abbey, Shyla, Alicia, Nick, Lauren, Karen, Sue, Ingrid and Sneha
Palliative Care Service Partner: Southern Adelaide Palliative Service Southern Adelaide Local Health Network - SALHN
Wish Site Partner: Monarto Safari Park
Village Captains: Rebecca and Kevin
Photographer: Luiza Michalewicz Photography
Memory Book Printer: Newstyle Print (partially donated services)
AWSA Lead Organisation: Palliative Care South Australia
AWSA Collaborative Partners: St John Ambulance | SA and Flinders University
AWSA Program Supporter: SA Government, SA Health and the Hon. Chris Picton MP

Our program is proudly supported by community donations, corporate sponsors, and the SA Government (SA Health).

Please consider supporting this incredible program and people like Rebecca by making a donation, Becoming a Friend of Ambulance Wish SA, donating, fundraising, Paying a Wish Forward or becoming a corporate partner. www.ambulancewishsa.org.au/donate