Royal Flying Doctor Service series by George Ivanoff

Ill. by Marie Pena. Random House Australia, 2016.
Remote Rescue. ISBN: 9780857988768
Emergency Echo. ISBN: 9780857988782
(Age: 9-11) Recommended. George Ivanoff's outback adventure series have been written in collaboration with the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Part of the purchase proceeds support this valuable aeromedical and primary health care provider. Each stand alone story is situated in a real outback or country location with a map, coordinates and information about the area's history and geography included. Marie Pena's dark covers and inside illustrations set the tone for these dramatic stories. The author has included factual information that describes the patient's injuries, symptoms and treatments, this adds to the realism of the narrative.
In Remote Rescue, on a family road trip from Adelaide to Uluru, Dad decides to camp at Farina, a deserted ghost town located on the Oodnadatta Track. Sam, Dawson and Emma enjoy games of hide and seek chasey, hiding in the ruined buildings. Their fun comes to a sudden halt when Dad falls into old rubble-filled cellar, seriously injuring his leg. Ten year old Dawson runs all the way to the main road to summon help. Fortuitously, Burt and Gwen stop to help and they call the RFDS on their satellite phone. Dawson stays by his father's side, administering first aid, carefully following the medical instructions given over the phone by the nurse. Arrangements are soon made for Dad and Dawson to be taken by ambulance to Maree, then airlifted to hospital in Adelaide. Burt and Gwen continue to help drive both cars and the two girls to Maree. Mum is happy to meet all the family when they reunite in Adelaide at the hospital.
In Emergency Echo, Alice and Ben live in Mount Magnet, six hours away from Perth on the Great Northern Highway. When twelve year old Alice doubles over in pain whilst playing a friendly game of cricket with her friend Ben, she doesn't think anything is wrong. Ben suggests she must have eaten some strong tasting kangaroo. Alice doesn't want to worry her mother who's busy running the local milk bar and looking after her young brother Lewis. Her stomach pain continues to worsen as they slowly walk home, and Ben realises he needs to phone an adult for assistance when Alice becomes nauseous. Luckily Grandad understands Alice needs a medical exam at the Outreach Service and Ben pushes the sick girl down to the Outreach Service in an old wheelchair. With a wild storm approaching Alice and Grandad are quickly loaded on-board ready for a bumpy flight to the hospital. Will Alice's appendix rupture before they arrive? To calm the young patient down as the storm rages, both Grandad and Doctor Helen share their medical rescue stories.
Rhyllis Bignell