Healing: Jess Hickingbotham working in the emergency field hospital in Turkey.
Photo by
Kim E Rowland
A former Kyabram woman is working in an emergency field hospital, treating earthquake victims in Turkey.
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Jessica Hickingbotham, a trained critical care nurse, has volunteered with the not-for-profit international Christian agency Samaritan’s Purse.
Jess was working in Melbourne when she got the call to join an Australian contingent of four medical staff with only 36 hours’ notice. She was flown to Turkey where she joined other volunteers to put together the 52-bed tent hospital in the centre of the devastated region, at Antakya.
Jess was educated in Kyabram and did her registered nurse training at La Trobe University in Shepparton, and then spent five years at GV Health in the emergency/ICU departments before working in Melbourne hospitals.
Her parents, Steve and Cathy Hickingbotham, are still getting their heads around the rapidly developing events.
“We’re honoured as parents,” Mr Hickingbotham said.
“Jessica took off with very little notice and ran into a disaster zone that the world is still trying to comprehend.
“Jessica’s heart is to bring practical love in the name of Jesus.”
The Hickinbothams have been impressed by the response of Samaritan’s Purse.
“We’re blown away,” Mr Hickingbotham said.
“Within days, they gathered all the equipment, flew it in, built and resourced a 52-bed field hospital, including two operating theatres, ICU ward and emergency room, all staffed with qualified personnel from around the world who dropped everything to volunteer.
“Samaritans Purse has a motto: ‘Helping in Jesus’ Name’. Amazing gift of love they give.”
This is Jessica’s first medical relief mission but she has been previously been on five other Christian mission trips helping communities in developing countries.
Her first one was when she was 16.
“Jessica has a passion to assist those in need and do all she can to help,” Mr Hickingbotham said.
The parents have had some brief contact with her since her arrival in Turkey.
“Jessica’s continual request is to pray for the team on the ground and the people affected so badly,” Mr Hickingbotham said.
They hope to see her after her four-week placement is concluded.
The Antakya field hospital — equipped with 52 patient beds, a pharmacy and two operating rooms — is located in the parking lot of a 1100-bed hospital, which is no longer functional due to the earthquake. Samaritan’s Purse doctors and nurses treated dozens of patients in the first hours of operation.
The Federal Government has sent a group of 72 as a search and rescue team.
Since arriving on Sunday, the team has recovered two bodies, but it remains hopeful of finding survivors.
Survivor: Jess Hickingbotham with a 14-year-old boy who was found alive after a week under the rubble of the earthquake.
Photo by
Kim E Rowland
Devastation: People walk through the rubble of destroyed buildings in Antakya, south-eastern Turkey, on Wednesday, February 15. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
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