Not running the Paris Marathon anymore but one in the Lake District (Brathay) on the 16th May, 2010, but this is why I am so keen to make sure I do it....
On the 8 August, 2009, Michael Garth (Mickey) a local farmer and his girlfriend Amy Lynch had a day of bailing planned. Mickey would have normally been on his own but as it was his five year anniversary, Amy took the day off work to spend it with him. At around midday, Mickey had to re-thread the twine mechanism on the big bailer, as he did this, a clump of twine wrapped around his wrist and dragged his right arm into the machine. As Amy was present, she managed to stop the machine promptly. However, damage had already been done as the machine had cut through skin, bone, arteries, and tendons at his arm pit. This left his arm crushed and trapped between the rollers inside the machine. Amy managed to get the attention of a friend that was close by, who rang the emergency services. She could see that although Mickey was still conscious he was loosing blood at an alarming rate. Amy realised that for Mickey to live, let alone have a chance of saving his arm, she would have to release his arm from the machine and stem the blood flow. They carefully and swiftly got Mickey out of the machine and onto the floor where Amy put him into the recovery position, raised his legs and applied direct pressure to his wound site. A few minutes later the paramedics arrived, where they took some stats and quickly realised this was a job for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA). Mickey’s blood pressure was so low that it was barely detectable. Mickey needed the speed of the helicopter to get him to Leeds General Infirmary otherwise he probably would have died. The YAA were incredibly quick getting to Mickey and landed directly next to them in the field. The paramedics on board the helicopter quickly got a drip into Mickey and his blood pressure came up to 60/40, still dangerously low however. Once they were happy Mickey was stable enough for the flight they loaded him into the helicopter and in just over 3 minutes they had landed on the roof top helipad of the Leeds General Infirmary. It took nearly 40 minutes for Amy to get there in a police car…
When Mickey arrived at hospital, they got him into surgery as quickly as possible. The surgeons did everything to save his arm, and the first operation went very well and Mickey kept his arm. Ten hours after the accident, Amy got to see Mickey again; he was okay, albeit shaken, but most importantly, he was alive, which can be thought of as a miracle considering the surgeons had predicted he had lost over 80% of the blood in his body. During the next few days he was in and out of surgery where they were starting the long process of reconstructing his arm. He even managed to get a day off surgery for his 26th Birthday. However, the day after his birthday a raging infection set in and an artery burst in his arm due to the pressure build up. He was rushed to emergency surgery, this was his last operation and sadly Mickey lost his arm from just above the elbow. This was in order to save his life and he said this made him feel much better. On the 21 of August, Mickey was discharged from hospital, he has continued to do well both physically and mentally. Everyone around him has been so shocked by how quickly he has healed and how matter of fact he has been about it. Mickey has just received his first prosthetic arm and is learning how to use it. Soon he may be able to return to full-time farm work again.
Mickey and Amy discovered that the service provided by the YAA is second to none and many patients would have not survived if it wasn't for them. So every penny counts and they ask you to give what you can afford.
Now, In the words of Sir Bob Geldof, give us your beeping money…….
Thanks very much, Mickey, Amy and Meg.
