When nurse Shirley Keen helps people she's usually in her scrubs, but when she sprang into action in an emergency at Lake Wendouree, Ms Keen was wearing the last thing you'd expect in such a situation - her wedding dress.
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Ms Keen, her new husband Darren and her grandchildren had just arrived at the Lake Wendouree playground area in their wedding limousine when she spotted a man holding a shirt to an elderly man's head.
"His head was spurting blood, I thought, 'okay, need to stop that', so I went over and took control," Ms Keen said.
The man had tripped on a tree root at the park, suffering head and arm injuries.
While directing bystanders to their cars for any available first aid kits and coaching a community member through a call to triple-zero, Ms Keen applied pressure to the man's head.
She said the man's biggest concern was getting blood on her dress.
"I said, 'it's okay, don't stress', a few people moved the dress out of the way and he was quite concerned about getting blood on my wedding dress and ruining my day, and I said, 'you haven't ruined it, we've now got a bond for life'," she said.
It was the man's 70th birthday and he had been celebrating at the park with family.
He was taken to hospital in a critical condition and thankfully, has recovered.
The man and Ms Keen are meeting for coffee next week.
I actually don't know any nurse that wouldn't do it ... it's just instinct to jump in and do what you can to help someone.
- Shirley Keen
Ms Keen and her husband chose their wedding day - February 22 - for its particularly auspicious date this year.
"The 22nd of the second 2022 was a pretty remarkable date, and that's why we chose to get married on that day," she said.
"You share your wedding day with lots of people that get married and family and friends, but then to be able to help someone in on their 70th birthday in their hour of need is pretty special as well."
Ms Keen said it was just what nurses do - no matter the day.
"I actually don't know any nurse that wouldn't do it, any of my nurse friends, they would just jump in," she said.
"I don't think anyone would become a nurse if they didn't want to help people or have it in their bones to help people, it's just instinct to jump in and do what you can to help someone."
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