Real Life Stories
The Sussex Air Ambulance was launched in June 2007 and has since flown to over 571 missions.
The helicopter responds to the most
serious of medical emergencies or incidents with remote access problems within East & West Sussex.
The Sussex
Air Ambulance Service is a very new, life saving operation and the
patients that
we have saved are more often than not, still in the process of recovery. Please see the examples below of people who we have helped.
If
you have been flown in the Sussex Air Ambulance and would like to tell us about
your experiences please email us at website@kaat.org.uk
SURVIVOR STORY – MS PENNY PRICE
Date of incident – 04/10/07
Time – 10.00am
Location – Nr Lewes Racecourse,
Penny, a personal trainer, was cycling with a client along an isolated path, when she suffered a nasty accident. Penny is still unclear as to exactly what happened, but she remembers rounding a bend in the path and then flying over the handlebars, as the bike buckled. The bike landed on top of Penny, digging into her ribs and causing excruciating pain.
Penny had brought her faithful dog, Katie, along and, as soon as Penny fell down, Katie circled her in a protective way. At this time, Penny was in a great deal of pain, and was unable to move. She also encountered problems breathing and so her client called the emergency services. Because of the remoteness of the location, the Sussex Air Ambulance was also deployed.
At this stage, Penny was very concerned about her dog who was clearly getting agitated that Penny was in pain. But, as Penny said, the Air Ambulance crew were absolutely fantastic with her and managed to calm her down whilst they assessed Penny.
The Air Ambulance crew were fearful that
she may have punctured a lung so were careful in treating Penny. A friend came
to collect Katie. Penny was flown to
Penny fractured 2 ribs in the accident and was unable to work for 6 weeks. She had this to say about the Sussex Air Ambulance; ‘When you’ve suffered the worst injuries that you ever have, it wasn’t life or death but serious for me at the time, you want the re-assurance of immediate medical care. The crew were so supportive and dealt brilliantly with my dog, Katie. I cannot thank them enough for helping me that day.’
SURVIVOR STORY – MRS ATAMJIT GILL
Date of incident – 10/10/07
Time – 10.30am
Location – Chailey, Nr
Atamjit Gill was driving near her home, when, due to adverse weather conditions, she suddenly lost control of her car and plunged down a bank. The car smashed into a tree with such force that the driver’s door was bent inwards, breaking two of Atamjit’s ribs. The roof was crushed by a low hanging branch which meant that Atamjit had to clamber over to the passenger side to escape.
The story is even more remarkable because Atamjit not only had her 2 year-old daughter in the back, but was also 34 weeks pregnant at the time. Thankfully, the rear of the car was not damaged by the accident and Atamjit was able to get her daughter out safely.
After a short while, two women stopped to
help, and the emergency services were called. Because of her pregnancy, the
Sussex Air Ambulance was called and landed in a nearby field. It was decided
that, due to Atamjit’s condition, the Royal Sussex in
Atamjit was very frightened to be transported to hospital by helicopter but as she said, ‘they explained what would happen and how I would feel. It was a bizarre experience but the crew were so professional, calm and understanding’. It took them just 10 minutes to get to hospital, where the crew had ensured a medical team would be ready to receive her.
Thankfully, her unborn baby was fine and,
in fact, Atamjit was allowed home that day. Atamjit recuperated well at home
and we are delighted to report that she gave birth to a baby boy on 12 November
2007. We’ll leave the last word to Atamjit, ‘the Sussex Air Ambulance is a
service that is under funded, under-publicised and under-supported.
One never
knows when either they or a loved one may need the superlative level of
expertise and care afforded by the air ambulance service. I cannot praise the Air
Ambulance enough, nor stress how important it is that the residents of Kent Surrey
and
REAL LIFE STORY – MRS DEB FINDLATER
Date of incident – 04/10/07
Time – 11.00am
Location – Crowborough,
Photo: Air Ambulance patient, Deb Findlater with her horse riding companion, Jan Carmichael.
Deb Findlater is a keen horse rider and it was when she was out riding her horse, Jasmine, in 2007, that she required the assistance of the Air Ambulance. Deb had just finished riding and together with her friend, Jan, was attempting to get Jasmine back into the horse-box. However, the horse was reluctant to do what she was told and suddenly, and without warning, swung round and knocked Deb down.
As Deb fell she smacked the side of her face on a large stone sticking out of the ground. The impact knocked her unconscious as well as causing broken teeth, an eye injury and a gash in her mouth. Jan immediately called for an ambulance and, to keep Deb’s brain alert, sang nursery rhymes whilst they waited!
Within 8 minutes of receiving the call, the
Air Ambulance crew were at the scene and assessing Deb. They spent 45 minutes
with her on the ground before they were happy to move her. It took them just 12
minutes to get to the
We met Deb in January 2008, and were pleased to see that she is recovering well from the incident. She is riding again and, although she suffers from headaches and still has teeth and eye problems, she feels she was lucky to escape with relatively few injuries. She said ‘I am so grateful for what the crew did that day. I cannot thank them enough, they are brilliant people’. Her friend Jan who helped throughout added ‘from when the helicopter landed to when it took off, the Air Ambulance crew were so thorough and efficient’.
Do you have a story like this that you would like to share?
Please email us at website@kaat.org.uk
REAL LIFE STORY - CHRIS SIM
Date of incident – 07/10/06
Time – 11am
Location – A20, Charing, Kent
Sadly from time to time real life stories do not always have happy endings and even the specialised skills of our medical crews, sometimes we are unable to save a patients life. This is a story about one such incident.
Chris Sim was involved in a serious motorcycle accident in October 2006 in Kent. His bike was in collision with a car and although the Air Ambulance was called, Chris’s injuries were just too severe and sadly he died at the scene.
His mother, Angela Sim was like all bereaved parents devastated. She has written a moving book of poems in memory of her son, following her thoughts and emotions for the first year after his tragic death.
The Air Ambulance’s story is usually a positive one about saving life but since the two helicopters and their crews attend some of the most serious medical emergencies there will always be times when the outcome is not what we would have wished. We hope that for those people who have lost a loved one the poems in this book will help them.
If you would like to obtain a copy of this book, please send your
details by email to website@kaat.org.uk and we will forward them to Chris’s mother, the author of this book.
The cost of the book is £5 and all proceeds, at Angela’s request will go to the Kent Air Ambulance.
