09/07/2021
*** PLEASE READ ***
Are you / someone you love an avid … or maybe you enjoy the odd ?
With the UK summer in full-swing, naturally we’re seeing an increase in outdoor activities, as you might expect.
But, naturally, more people involved in outdoor leisure means more accidents, some of them life-threatening.
Now, unfortunately, these awful kind of things seem to happen when we’re least expecting it.
~ Chloé’s Story ~
I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve been running over the countryside hills (not too far from home) and had a near slip or tumble. It’s these times when I think to myself, if something happened, here in the middle of nowhere, there’s no chance that a (‘regular’) ambulance would be able to get to me!
Luckily (touch wood!) I’ve always been very fortunate injury-wise. Despite over twenty years of dealing with horses, I’ve only ever had one bad fall… and I’m super lucky that my back protector and helmet completely took most of the impact!
My loved ones haven’t been so lucky. And that’s what I really want to tell you about.
When I was younger, I had the closest-knit little friendship group. We were a little bit like something out of The Sleepover Club, or one of those Jacqueline Wilson books. Back then, our little girl gang was the centre of our universe and boy was life good!
Every friendship group has the one that’s a little bit bossy, the one who ‘leads’ the group, keeps everyone together? That was Gemma. She was perfect, gorgeous, sporty, fun and kind. She was our best friend.
Around our 11th birthdays, Gemma’s went on holiday with her family to the Spanish mountains. It was whilst playing with her sister that she suffered a really unfortunate fall, hitting her head and sustaining life-threatening injuries. The family immediately sourced help and an Air Ambulance was able to rescue Gemma, flying her to seek medical care.
Tragically, our Gemma didn’t make it. Over a decade later, it’s something that we are still trying to learn to live with. A tragic, freak accident.
My point is that the Air Ambulance came- it gave Gemma a chance.
These lifesaving rapid response services are paramount. They protect life. Air Ambulances ARE NOT FUNDED BY THE GOVERNMENT OR NHS. They are independent charities and NEED US to keep them flying!
Sadly, that’s not where my story ends.
Four years ago, my dad (the centre of our family world) was minutes away from dying. I was going through a tough time at University, we spoke on the phone and he was coming to pick me up the following day.
He never came.
Instead, my aunt Fiona was standing downstairs in the hallway of my flat, she gave me a big hugs as she tried to explain calmly that Dad had been involved in an accident and that she was here to take me to the hospital. “Oh no, not again”, I made a nervous laugh, trying to hide the emotion in my voice, swallowing back tears with force.
He was a keen cyclist, fit as anything with a resting heart rate of 40bpm. My dad was big, strong, fearless and afraid of nothing. He was the centre of our family universe, worked hard to provide for us, could solve any problem and had the most generous heart.
That dad is gone now. He’s stil Dad, and don’t get me wrong, he’s still just perfect in every way, but he’s very different to how he was… (but that’s a different story).
It was a Thursday night out with the cycle club. He headed down the hill on his bike.
Never made it to the end.
There were blood stains on the patch of tarmac where he lay for weeks after.
No rain, no wet road, no collisions, no nothing, so the police investigation said.
Another seemingly tragic accident, no way that it could have been prevented, preempted or stopped.
We thank our lucky stars every day for what happened next. If it weren’t for an off-duty policeman, by the name of Mark, this story would have a very different ending. One where a single mother is left with no money, two young adults with severe mental health conditions … and a teenage child completely dependent on her 24 hour care.
We are forever indebted to Mark and his efforts to save our Dad and for his quick work contacting Yorkshire Air Ambulance who flew Dad to LGI.
What happened next is a pure miracle.
But a miracle that could never ever have even had the tiniest chance of occurring if it weren’t for Yorkshire Air Ambulance.
So, that 50p on your kitchen counter? Would you like to donate it to our Charity Raffle? It’s all in aid of Yorkshire Air Ambulance. And you might win a prize…
