WHEN Fay Gleave started teaching first aid, snake bites were treated by sucking out the venom.
“Now we know the venom goes through the lymphatic system, so we use a pressure immobilisation bandage,” Fay said, reflecting on her long career.
The 84-year-old from Kingscliff has been named St John NSW Trainer of the Year, something she describes as a “great honour”.
“This award was one of the biggest thrills I can imagine because of my age and health. I cried when I got the email,” she told The Senior.
Fay first completed her first aid certificate in 1958 and became an instructor in 1974. Since then, she has taught thousands of people to save lives, including more than 5000 primary school students.
And while she officially retired in 2015, she has been training children across the Tweed Shire since 2014 – and doesn’t plan on stopping any time soon.
“The children all know me and meet me at the gate. I love what I do.”
Fay has always been interested in helping people heal. As a girl, she dreamed of being an army medic.
“They didn’t have female medics in those days,” she said. So she joined the Voluntary Aid Detachment and trained at Murwillumbah District Hospital., which led her to first aid.
“St John’s been my life for all these years.”
During her 61 years as a first aider, Fay has received just about every award and title there is, including the prestigious Order of St John.
But that’s not why she does it. “If my training saves one life, it’s all worth it.”
Clearly the community thinks so too.
“Someone left a Christmas angel on my front door a few days ago. It made me feel very special.”
While she can’t carry the equipment by herself any more, Fay hopes to continue training as long as she can by working with volunteer and close friend Sally Quinn, who travelled to Sydney with Fay to collect the training award.
“I’ve kept saying I’ll retire for the last 10 years, but haven’t yet because I still enjoy it,” Fay said. “I’m a firm believer that you get out of life what you put into it.”
