I am asking your support to help me raise £1000 for the Devon Air Ambulance. I was airlifted to hospital in October 2019 following a horrific car crash. The Devon Air Ambulance receives no Government or National Lottery funding and provides and develops its service
thanks to the generosity of communities in Devon. 

On Wednesday 9^th October 2019 I was driving home from work on the A361, the North Devon Link Road. It was just past 4:15pm; I was near Knowstone when I saw a red car heading towards me, going the wrong way, on my side of the road. I tried to swerve out of the way but there wasn’t time and I was hit, almost head on. I had no idea of the injuries I had sustained and just wanted to get out of the car.

 Luckily, in one of the cars behind me were 3 Marines who had completed a first aid course that day and, in another car, was a nurse. They all helped me, keeping me calm and, more importantly, keeping me still until the road ambulance crew arrived. They managed to get a line in me to give me strong pain relief. The fire brigade arrived and began cutting me out of my car. Eventually I was able to be moved to the air ambulance.

 I’m grateful that I don’t remember much about being moved to the helicopter. I do remember briefly coming to and pulling on the leg of one of the Devon Air Ambulance crew, telling him I was in pain, the other medic assured me it was only ten minutes till we’d be at the hospital. I had extensive injuries: fractured pelvis, hip and head of the femur; I had a titanium rod attached to my femur; my knee was reconstructed, the fibia was broken and my ankle was completely displaced. The immediate diagnosis of the orthopaedic consultant was that I would be unlikely to ever walk again. Without the air ambulance my injuries could have been worsened by a road journey to Plymouth.

 I was in hospital for 5 months recovering from my injuries, learning to walk again and being treated for PTSD. Apart from physically saying thank you to the Devon Air Ambulance crew, I can think of no better way to show my extreme gratitude to this charity by taking on a challenge. On October 8^th I will be aiming to walk unaided, taking 144 steps – one for each day I was in hospital. 144 steps may not seem many but for me it’s mammoth: I normally walk using crutches, so to walk unaided is the greatest challenge I can think of. Please support me in raising £1000 for the Devon Air Ambulance.

Devon Air Ambulance is the charitable trust which raises the funds to keep two emergency air ambulances flying in and around the county of Devon. Flying seven days a week, one of the aircraft now flies until 2am. We are proud to be independent of Government funding; Every penny raised is from the generosity of the communities, businesses and friends of Devon.Thank you for your support - it really does help to save lives!