Ronald McDonald North Australia – Sam’s Story
Shanna and Sam live on Thursday Island with his two siblings. On Saturday, 11th October at 6:30pm, Sam went to fish on the pier near Cook Esplanade with two young friends - less than a kilometre from his home. A short time later mum Shanna heard screaming and jumped in her car to get down to the pier saying:
By the time I got there, there was a group running down to help as they all know Aunty Shanna. She doesn’t drive crazy and she doesn’t scream, but I was screaming all the way to the rocks where Sam was.
Shanna arrived to find Sam on the rocks, though she is a non-practicing Registered Nurse, her training immediately took over. “I knew from the moment I saw him that he would survive, I was calm. I checked for each organ, and I thought this is bad, he is losing so much blood and had lost bone and muscle – but we can work with this. He was conscious the whole time, but I just knew I wouldn’t lose him."
Some other boys went and got a board from the bottom of a boat nearby, as we just needed something to get him onto, and being from the island we know to make do with what we have – the other boys ran to the road to guide the ambulance in.
Shanna and Sam were choppered to Horn Island, where Sam’s wounds were packed, and they were then flown to Townsville University Hospital. Sam was in critical condition and underwent surgery while Shanna waited. Sam was in ICU for 17 days. He has lost part of his hip and part of his upper back muscles, his internal organs were intact.
Shanna says: “He asked once why me, and I said it is no one's fault. It is not the shark’s fault, it is not your fault, and now this is life, and we can work with it. We live on an island and we don’t raise our children to be scared of nature – nature is dangerous, but they live in it and enjoy it. We have hammerheads, a bull shark and a tiger shark, we also have a croc that lives there.
The two things I am grateful for are that it wasn’t the croc that got him – and that it wasn’t either of the two other boys that got attacked. If it was either of them, we would be organising a funeral as they are so much smaller. This, we can work with this.”
The road to recovery for Sam will be a very long one. His brothers remain with community – one on Thursday Island and one with his father on the Gold Coast:
Everyone is their aunty or uncle or mother on that Island – they will look after the boys until I can be back. That is our community and our Island.
Shanna now works in Mental Health and has organised counselling for the other boys involved and the wider community to help them with their trauma. She is using the techniques from her Psychology studies and work to help Sam.
Sam and his family have been staying with RMHC for a month. He remains in hospital and underwent surgery on 12 November and is expected to remain there throughout Christmas.
Stories like Sam’s remind us why the work of Ronald McDonald House Charities is so vital. When families face the unimaginable, RMHC provides not only a place to stay but also comfort, care, and community during their most difficult times.
We are proud to stand alongside our charity partners, Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) in both North Australia and South East Queensland. This enduring partnership is a core part of our commitment to supporting families across the state, especially when they face the immense challenges of childhood illness and injury.
Our support is brought to life by our dedicated team members who embody our community values. From volunteering their time to prepare meals, run the RMHC Hospitality Carts and participating in fundraisers, their commitment makes a tangible difference for families in their time of need.
Aaron Newman, our Chief Executive Officer, shares this sentiment:
I am incredibly proud of our enduring partnership with Ronald McDonald House, which reflects our unwavering commitment to supporting families. Partnerships like this remind us of the powerful role businesses can play in strengthening communities and bringing hope to families facing immense challenges. Together with Ronald McDonald House, we are proud to support families in meaningful ways.