Aaron McCarthy saved his own life when a freak machinery accident claimed his leg, and now friends of the well-known farmer are raising funds to support his young family during his recovery.
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The father-of-two, from the The Rock, sustained a amputation injury to one leg on December 14 after returning home from work to finish his harvest season.
During the incident, Mr McCarthy managed to apply a tourniquet, saving his own life, and calmly shook the hands of emergency responders as they arrived to render first aid.
He was escorted by ambulance from his Plums Road property to Wagga airport and flown to Canberra Hospital in a serious but stable condition.
A close friend of the McCarthy family, Kim Heffernan, first heard the news of Mr McCarthy's accident from his wife Tahnee.
"Tahnee had called me in the ambulance on the way to the airport," Ms Heffernan said.
"I asked her if she had any clothes and she said 'no', so I just grabbed some clothes and threw some things in a bag and took it out to the airport."
Mr McCarthy remains in Canberra Hospital as he recovers from the loss of one of his lower legs.
Ms Heffernan said the community's response following the ordeal has been nothing but "wonderful".
"They [local farmers] wanted to finish his harvesting and I believe that's been done now," she said.
"They're prepared to do whatever it takes for one of their own, which is so lovely."
Understanding the impact that fundraising via online platforms can have for families in times of crisis, Ms Heffernan launched a GoFundMe to support Mr McCarthy's wife and two children, and lessen the burden of medical expenses.
"But it's not just about money, which is obviously so vital to help them out," she said.
"It's just about showing them that people care about them. I think that's really important."
Within 24 hours, the fundraising page 'Help Aaron & his family' managed to raise $16,030, which Ms Heffernan described as a reflection of the family's impact throughout The Rock and local region.
"It just goes to show what type of people Tahnee and Aaron are," she said.
"Tahnee does paediatric physiotherapy and all of her patients' families just love her."
The fundraiser is aiming to raise $30,000 and all contributions are appreciated.
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