The following is an excerpt from the November 2011 issue of the Berks & Bucks Football Association Magazine, kindly reproduced with their permission. More news from the Berks & Bucks FA at www.berks-bucksfa.com/News/
Club members Angie and Bill Canning recently took part in a Bracknell to John O’Groats via Lands End motorbike ride, and the club keep a donation pot on the main bar, both in aid of the Air Ambulance.
Berks & Bucks FA are proud to announce their partnership with Thames Valley & Chiltern Air Ambulance for the 2011-12 season. Over the coming weeks, we will be producing a programme of events and opportunities for everyone to get involved with in aid of this critical service.
The Thames Valley & Chiltern Air Ambulance Trust, launched in June 1999, provides a life saving service for the counties of Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire.
The Trust is a Registered Charity, and is not funded by central Government or the National Lottery and relies entirely on donations from the public to fund its annual running costs.
The air ambulance, a Eurocopter EC135, which has been aptly named BOB (to represent the three counties it covers), is based at RAF Benson, Oxfordshire. It carries a full range of life saving and medical equipment and is manned by a pilot and two fully qualified paramedics, who are often supported by a small team of doctors who volunteer their time. BOB has the capacity to transport one patient with the ability to treat and care in the air.
The helicopter is operated during daylight hours and is on call seven days per week. On average it is tasked three times per day to emergency situations involving road traffic collisions, equestrian and sporting accidents and the onset of acute illnesses such as heart attacks and strokes. Each mission costs approximately £2,000 in operational costs such as fuel and flying time.
The key benefit of the air ambulance is its ability to bring rapid medical intervention to a life threatening situation in order to give primary care to patients and, if required, airlift them to the most appropriate hospital within the “Golden Hour”.
As a small, flexible and highly manoeuvrable helicopter, BOB can reach areas that a ground vehicle could not access, such as remote rural areas, golf courses, railways and rivers.
To date BOB has answered over 12,500 emergency calls within Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, saving many lives.
The Thames Valley & Chiltern Air Ambulance Trust needs your help to raise the necessary funds to maintain this life saving service.
Liz Verrall, County Development Manager, said, “This is such a worthwhile charity to support, it is a charity that we all can relate to, we have heard of horrific injuries that have happened during football matches, where the air ambulance has come to the rescue. BBFA would like to do their bit, with your help, to ensure that the air ambulance is operational if the unfortunate occurs.”
BOB’s Real Life Stories
Paula C
On the 11 February, I was driving (with my 15 month old baby in the car), when I hit a patch of black ice and went straight into a tree. I broke my pelvis, sustained a serious head injury and had a suspected broken neck. The police officer told my family that I wasn’t expected to survive the helicopter journey but I did and was airlifted to the John Radcliffe Hospital. Once there I was put in an induced coma for 10 days.
What I have come to realise is that it is not the primary brain damage that is the most devastating but the secondary brain damage that is caused by the swelling and pressure build up. Thankfully, I was intubated on route and airlifted speedily to the best neuro-intensive care unit in the country. It was a long recovery but today, 2 years on, I feel I am back and am able to enjoy being a mum.
Noel and Karen
My husband (Noel) and I set off on our motorbikes on a beautiful sunny morning in July for what we thought was going to be an enjoyable ride. Our pleasure was cut short when we were confronted by a driver pulling a dangerous manoeuvre, which resulted in Noel being thrown from his bike.
An ambulance was called, soon followed by BOB and the crew. The whole team worked calmly and efficiently event when Noel became quite agitated, not knowing where he was or what had occurred. They quickly realised that he needed urgent medical attention. I was informed that he was being flown not to the nearest hospital but to the John Radcliffe Hospital, as this was the most appropriate place for Noel injuries. It was only at the hospital that it became clear just how vital this rapid response was.
Noel had a serious head injury with a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain. This was followed by swelling, resulting in an operation to remove a section of his brain. During the next five weeks, he remained in a coma, with various complications including a period when it was not known if he would make any further improvement. However with the fantastic care which he received both before and during his stay at the John Radcliffe and two additional hospitals he is now on the long slow road to recovery having finally been discharged 6 months later. There is no doubt that without the initial speed with which he was transferred to hospital the outcome could have been much worse.
We rely on you…so you can rely on us.
Donate online at: www.supportbob.co.uk or text: HBOB10 £5 to 70070
