Kay and Ray Hawthorne with Bruce Bird who (with his wife) organised a community fund raiser to purchase a generator as back up during blackouts, for Kay’s Electric Oxygen Concentrator, which she depends on to breathe. Image: Contributed

  Lynne Mowbray In a random act of kindness, the Wooli community have put their hands in their pockets to support of one of their elderly residents. Licensee of the Wooli Post Office and Unit Controller for the Wooli SES, Bruce Bird said that one of the village’s elderly residents Kay Hawthorne 74 has to depend on an electric oxygen concentrator to help her breath. The oxygen concentrator provides oxygen (in a concentrated form) from the air into a nasal canular for breathing. Mr Bird who volunteers as an emergency first responder said that during a recent blackout the resident went into respiratory distress and an ambulance had to be called. Mr Bird said that he and his wife Gyorgyi placed a sign out the front of their Post Office asking the community to help raise $400 to purchase a back up generator, so that when there’s a blackout, Kay can have peace of mind during those times. The sign explained what was needed and stated; ‘This is a personal endeavour which is not linked to any organisation or company – it’s just to benefit a local resident. Mr Bird said that within two weeks the community had raised the money needed to purchase of the generator.