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My name is Ali Phillips and I was involved in a car accident that almost cost me my life, unfortunately I don't have any memory of the incident and so I have asked my Dad to tell his version of events:

We first knew that something was wrong when
our neighbour’s son knocked at the door and told us that he had just seen a crashed car and he thought it was Ali’s. The date was 27^th October 2009 and we were only at home as we had taken a week’s holiday. Ali had left for work as normal only a short while before.

I immediately drove to the scene leaving my wife and our two other sons at home. Upon reaching the bend in the road where the accident had occurred I had to abandon the car as the road was blocked by
other vehicles. I ran to the crashed car which was front first in the ditch on the far side of the road. It was only then that I knew for sure that it was Ali.

When I reached the car Ali was still in the driver’s seat with several ambulance staff around him. He was conscious but incoherent and he had a severe head wound which I was to learn later was sustained when his head impacted with the sun roof which was then pushed out
from its housing allowing Ali’s head to continue upwards and hit a substantial branch of a withy tree above. I can still clearly remember his vacant stare and the fact that he was motionless.

Several people who had stopped ushered me away while the medical team got to work stabilising Ali and carefully removing him from the vehicle. By this time the Midlands Air Ambulance helicopter had
landed in a nearby field and the crew were soon on the scene. Ali’s older
brother Richard then arrived having run the best part of a mile to the scene as I had not yet let the rest of the family know what had happened. I reassured him that Ali was in good hands and would be OK even though I feared the worst. I then had to make a difficult phone call to let my wife know what had happened.

Ali was soon aboard the helicopter and was in the air heading for Selly Oak Hospital, Birmingham. The medical team had worked calmly and efficiently, giving him the very best chance of survival.

I drove back home along with my son and picked up my wife and our youngest son. We headed for the hospital. Upon arrival we were informed that Ali had suffered a fit during the flight but had been stabilised by the crew. Ali had been sedated and was not conscious at this point and having tried to wake him it was decided that he should be kept in an induced coma and transferred to Queen Elizabeth hospital for specialist treatment in the Critical Care Unit.

For ten days he remained in an induced coma and all we could do was wait by his bed while the pressure in his brain was monitored and controlled as much as possible. We were prepared for the fact
that should the pressure increase to a level where it could not be controlled we would lose him, and the likelihood that if he did survive he would have life changing injuries. These could be at best memory loss and at worst loss of ability to look after himself.

Thankfully as a result of excellent and dedicated care from the staff at QE Hospital along, no doubt, with Ali’s renowned stubbornness and determination he made a full recovery and left hospital only fourteen days after the accident. Since then he has started his own business, got married to Charlotte and last November welcomed his beautiful daughter Elizabeth into this world.

We had the best possible ending to what could have been a complete tragedy. This was due in no small part to something that is so often taken for granted in these situations; the Midlands Air Ambulance. Had it not been for their quick arrival, professionalism and dedication I am sure that Ali would not be with us today. It is now ten years on and to mark this occasion Ali wants to give something back so please support
him if you can so that he can help the Midlands Air Ambulance be there to save other lives too.

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