Kingaroy paramedic Mei-Lin Dean has been hailed an everyday hero for fulfilling her passion to help those in need and efforts to strengthen her community.
Ms Dean, Officer in Charge at Kingaroy Station, is one of many Queensland Ambulance officers who have been nominated for a QBANK Everyday Hero Award in 2023 for their unwavering spirit and dedication to
their communities.
Ms Dean started her journey to becoming a paramedic in 2014, started her graduate program at Murgon Station in 2016, and has been OIC at Kingaroy since 2019. She has also relived in towns across the southwest region.
She said she was surprised and honoured to be nominated by a colleague.
“To be nominated as an Everyday Hero is an acknowledgment that I am doing something right and reminds me to ask myself what else can I do,” she said.
“I believe that I am only as good as the foundation beneath me, which is the team of colleagues I get to work with on a daily basis,” she said.
Ms Dean said it was rewarding to work in a role that made a difference to the lives of everyday people.
“Most times when we respond in the community we become the first point of contact for the patient and are trusted to make decisions that impact the patient’s well-being,” she said.
“Little things can make a difference to someone, whether it be holding their hand in desperate times, taking the time to talk to them when they are most vulnerable or giving them some reassurance.
“I enjoy the variety of work, the autonomy, and working with a wonderful team that provides me with ongoing support each and every day,” she said.
Ms Dean said the South Burnett was a caring and close-knit community that worked together to create a great place to live and work.
“Living in the community I work in at times can be difficult, as I probably know the patient I am attending to and will most likely see them at the most vulnerable point of their lives, but seeing the difference we make, definitely makes it easier,” she said.
Nominations for the QBANK Everyday Heroes Awards are open until 31 August 2023, with nominees eligible from the top end to the south-east across a range of sectors.
The awards, now in their ninth year, celebrate the exceptional achievements of people within Queensland Police, Fire, Health, Corrections, Justice, and the Public Service, including educators.
The six award categories are Achievement, Ownership, Dedication, Working Together, Excellence and the Young Everyday Hero Award.
Winners will be selected by a panel of highly respected judges and will receive $2000 deposited into a QBANK account and $2000 donated to a charity of their choice.
Finalists will be announced in September and winners will be recognised at the annual awards dinner at the W Hotel Brisbane on 27 October 2023.
For more information about the categories and eligibility criteria, visit qbank.com.au/everydayheroes
