A terminally ill Australian man was making his final trip to a hospital and into palliative care when paramedics escorting him along the way asked him, “If you could eat anything, what would it be?”
Ron McCartney’s answer was sweet and simple: A caramel sundae.
Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) officers Kate Hanafy and Hanna Hoswell are being praised for their kind gesture last week after they were called to transfer McCartney from his home and into hospital for the final time.
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According to QAS, while travelling to the hospital, McCartney’s wife, Sharon, told the paramedics the dying man had “barely eaten anything over two days.”
“The officers asked Ron, if you could eat anything… what would it be?” the QAS explained in a viral Facebook post. “To which Ron replied, a caramel sundae.”
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The man’s request sparked a slight detour to a McDonald’s drive-thru. However, as the Brisbane Times reported Wednesday, the detour turned out to be a “logistical nightmare.” The problem was the ambulance was too tall for the drive-thru, forcing the paramedics to park, while one stayed with McCartney and the other to run in to grab some ice cream.
“He was wrapped, he was getting it all over his face, getting it all over his shirt, he had a big smile on his face and his wife was tearing up because she was so pleased to see him eating,” Hanafy explained to newspaper.
The QAS said the service had been “left humbled and tinged with sadness after receiving a message of gratitude that underlines an often-unseen aspect of patient care; the caring.”
The McCartneys’ daughter, Danielle, posted a message on the viral QAS Facebook post, thanking the responding paramedics for their kindness and compassion.
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“Thank you so very much to Hannah and Kate, Dad enjoyed this so much and was the last thing he was able to eat by himself,” she wrote. “Mum and I cannot thank QAS enough for all the help and compassion you have all given towards us each time we have had to call you.”
Speaking with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), McCartney’s wife said it was an “unexpected act of kindness.”
“It put a smile on his face, he got a couple of pretty girls conned again. Got what he wanted,” Sharon told ABC. “It was typical Ron. He’ll never say no to a caramel sundae.”
McCartney’s daughter later confirmed her father had died on Sept.1.
Last year, QAS members were praised for their compassion after taking a terminally-ill woman to the beach to see the ocean one last time.