Archives: Patients

Daniel Howe from Mirfield, West Yorkshire collapsed outside the East Riding Leisure Centre on August 2^nd 2019 and was helped by a group of passing tourists when they saw him having a seizure.  Moments later, Daniel slipped into cardiac arrest and emergency services, who had arrived on scene, started CPR.

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance were dispatched and Daniel was placed into an induced coma at the roadside and flown to Hull Royal Infirmary.

Tests at the hospital revealed that Daniel had a faulty heart value and he spent more than a month in a coma. He was then transferred to Leeds General Infirmary, where he began his rehabilitation and underwent two procedures, one to repair his aortic value and another to have an ICD fitted.

Daniel has been left with crippling anxiety and short term memory loss following his cardiac arrest and COVID-19 has delayed some of his treatment. However, he has been using lockdown as an opportunity to work on his fitness and has lost one and a half stone, which the doctor had advised so that he can have further surgery on his heart.

To give back to the charity that saved his life, prior to the lockdown, Daniel and his friends organised   a fundraiser at their local angling club and raised over £1,200.

On the 9th  November 2019, Guy Brewer was found with blood pouring from his ear and in a confused state by his wife Freya when she returned home.

“He didn’t know where he was or what had happened and there was a pool blood on the floor of the stable”, said Freya.

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance were dispatched immediately to scene and due to the incident being late at night, the mission was flown using Night Vision technology.

Night Vision status was granted to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance back in September 2017 and has enabled the lifesaving rapid response service the ability to extend their operational hours into darkness.

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance Critical Care Team assessed Guy and tried to identify the cause of his injuries by walking around the scene of incident and speaking to his wife. Guy believed that he had been thrown off his horse, but on further inspection, the horse was unbroken and had never been ridden.

Due to Guy’s confused state and developing symptoms which pointed towards a brain injury, a decision was made to airlift him to Leeds General Infirmary so that he could be assessed by their neurological team.

Guy spent 26 days in hospital, including a stay on a high dependency ward and intensive care and tests revealed that he had sustained a bleed on the brain and two skull fractures.

“It doesn’t bear thinking about how long I may have lasted if no-one was there to rescue me”, said Guy.

The cause of Guy’s incident remains a mystery, although it is presumed that he may have been kicked by the horse.

Speaking of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, he continued: “I’m grateful to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance crew who looked after me and got me to hospital when they did. “

A cyclist from Richmond whose brakes suddenly failed near an 8ft drop on the Yorkshire Moors is set to appear on Helicopter ER on Monday.

On the 30^th March 2019, Graham Barber was out cycling his local loop with three of his friends when his brakes failed, sending him tumbling down an 8ft bank.

“I do quite a lot of mountain biking and have done it for the years. But unfortunately the more you do something, the more you are likely to have an incident”, said Graham.

He continued: “I was out bike riding with my friends and suddenly my brakes failed. I thought I’d turn on to a grassy bank, but it turned out to be a steep drop.”

Due to Graham’s remote location, the Yorkshire Air Ambulance were dispatched with one of their Critical Care Team doctors and two of their paramedics.

After assessing Graham, a decision was made for him to be taken to Darlington Hospital. Mountain Rescue extracted Graham from the steep bank and he was taken to hospital by road ambulance.

Tests at the hospital revealed Graham had sustained an open dislocated finger on the left hand, multiple fractures in his wrist and a bruised bone. He was also left with grazes on his forehead from his helmet.

Thankfully Graham was wearing his protective gear and after a short stay in hospital and surgery to fix his finger, he has now made a full recovery and he’s back on his bike.

Speaking of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, Graham said: “They all do an amazing job to help people in our type of situations and I couldn’t have asked for anything more from those involved. Luckily it was the first and hopefully last time I have needed them.”

Ruth Vernon and her family were on their way to a dance class in Thurcroft, Rotherham last year when their car was hit by another driver, who was later convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol.

Upon impact, Ruth became trapped in the car, her daughter Elizabeth was knocked unconscious by the airbag and her four year old daughter who was sat in the back of the car, sustained serious bruising from the car seat.

“Someone came over and kept saying ‘turn your car off’ it looks like there’s smoke coming from the front”, said Ruth.

She continued: “I felt quite helpless being stuck in the car and not being able to cuddle the girls and comfort them myself. It was very traumatic for Sophie who was only four.”

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance were dispatched to the incident and as they arrived on scene, Ruth recognised one of their paramedics, Paul Holmes, as their daughters attend the same dance class.

“It really put my mind at ease seeing Paul”, said Ruth. “I felt reassured as I knew who he was and he even offered to come in the ambulance with me.”

Ruth was taken to Sheffield Northern General hospital by road and her daughters were taken to Sheffield Children’s Hospital. Ruth spent four nights in hospital and required surgery on a broken thigh bone. Luckily the girls escaped with no long lasting injuries.

Speaking of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, Ruth said: “I couldn’t ask for more from the Yorkshire Air Ambulance team, it’s an invaluable service we have in this country.”

To thank the charity which saved her life, Ruth decided to host a raffle on Facebook to raise vital funds for the YAA. Ruth has already raised an impressive £1,200 and she is on target to reach her £1,500 goal.

You can catch Ruth’s story on Season 5 episode 12 of Helicopter ER. Catch up on any missed episodes over on D-Play: https://www.discoveryplus.com/gb/show/helicopter-er

On 17^th September 2019, Michelle Bliss and her partner Shane were both involved in a serious motorcycle incident on North Common Road in Thorne.

Michelle said: “I don’t remember much of what happened, but I do remember the first responder saying ‘don’t worry you’re going to be okay’.”

With the Yorkshire Air Ambulance in attendance, it was down to the paramedics on board to assess the severity of both parties’ injuries. Subsequently, Michelle was flown to the Major Trauma Centre at Sheffield Northern General as she was deemed the most seriously injured of the two, and Shane was taken by land ambulance.

Tests at the hospital revealed that Michelle had sustained a bleed on the brain, she fractured her collar bone, had an open fracture to her right arm, she fractured her pelvis and spine, broke her leg, dislocated her ankle and ripped her tendons. Shane had broken almost every rib in his body, he fractured his sternum, broke his leg and dislocated his elbows. He also broke his finger.

Michelle spent 10 and a half weeks in hospital including a stay on a high dependency ward and Shane was in hospital for a week and a half. Michelle has had multiple surgeries, inserting plates in her arm and collar bone, a bar in her pelvis and pins in her spine. Later this year she will be having her ankle fused.

Speaking of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, Michelle said: “I’m really glad they were there, they saved my life by getting me to hospital as quickly as possible.”

Last year one in ten patients treated by the Yorkshire Air Ambulance were involved in motorcycle incidents.

Steven Caygill was an experienced motorcyclist and he had just saved up to purchase some new protective leathers.

On 6th May 2019 Steven set off for a bike ride when five miles down the road from his home, he collided with a tractor whilst doing 50mph.

“I was out for my first ride of the season. It was a nice morning on the bank holiday and I thought I would just go out for an hour to get used to the bike again after it had been put away for the winter”, said Steven.

He continued: “I set off out of Bedale towards Northallerton and a tractor, with a slurry tanker attached, pulled out of a crossroads in front of me. I tried to take evasive action and swerve to avoid it, but we ended up crashing into each other.”

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance responded to the incident and after assessing Steven, their Critical Care Team suspected a serious pelvic injury. He was flown to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesborough.

Lewis Foster, 17, from Hull, was following in his family’s footsteps by learning to ride a motorbike.  On the 20^th September 2019, he was out riding with his ‘L plates’ on when he was knocked off his motorbike at a junction close to Catwick Lane near Hornsea by a car.

Passersby stopped to help, 999 was called, and the Yorkshire Air Ambulance were subsequently dispatched. As his family arrived at scene, the YAA Critical Care Team decided, due to the seriousness of his injuries, to put Lewis into an induced coma to protect his brain. He was then transferred to Hull Royal Infirmary by road ambulance accompanied by the YAA Doctor and one of their Critical Care Paramedics.

Speaking of his injuries, Lewis said: “I suffered from a traumatic brain injury, a fractured neck and skull, a lacerated liver, I shattered my pelvis in five places, broke my arm in two places, dislodged and my burst bladder and sustained soft tissue damage.”

Lewis spent seven weeks in hospital and underwent two major operations. He still has a long road of recovery ahead of him, and is scheduled to have more reconstructive surgery. Doctors have told him it could be up to two years until his brain fully heals.

Dr Chris Srinivasan, the YAA Consultant who attended Lewis at scene, said: “Lewis’ probability of survival was 35% so the fact that he’s here today is incredible.”

The impact of the incident has weighed heavily on Lewis’ family’s minds.  “I come from a family of bikers and the incident has stopped all my family doing what they want to do, but I’m hoping in time they will return”, said Lewis.

On the 30^th January this year, Lewis was welcomed to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance base to thank the Yorkshire Air Ambulance crew for saving his life.

James Cook-Coulson, from Hibaldstow, North Lincolnshire has been motocross riding since he was thirteen. On the day of his incident, he was racing at Gale Common Motoparc in Knottingley near Leeds with a group of friends.

“My friends had just packed up and left, and I decided to have one more lap of the circuit”, said James.

Retelling his harrowing experience, he continued: “I went around the corner, and then I got a little bit scared that someone was close behind me, so I made a split decision to jump further than I normally would so that I wouldn’t be landed on. As I jumped, my wheels became stuck in the ruts and threw me over the handlebars, and I went flying at around 40mph. I barrel rolled down a rough straight and I felt like I was in a washing machine.  I knew I’d done myself some serious damage.”

Spectators and the owner of the Gale Common Motorparc ran to James’ aid and called the emergency services. Due to the severity of James’ injuries, the Yorkshire Air Ambulance were dispatched.

“When I came to a stop, I felt that I was bleeding internally – I knew something was wrong. It was a strange sensation, I felt wet and warm on my insides”, said James.

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance Critical Care Team provided immediate treatment and decided to fly him to the nearest major trauma centre at Leeds General Infirmary.

Tests revealed that James had punctured his lung and sustained serious damage to his liver and kidney. He was rushed straight into emergency surgery where he was given three pints of blood and they searched for the source of the internal bleeding (I had killed off a large part of my liver and had 2 aneurysms which required their incoming arteries gluing this sacrificing more of my liver)

James spent five weeks in hospital and endured four surgeries, including a laparotomy, where surgeons removed his intestines to clean out his abdomen

Recovery for James has been very tough. He has spent the last 10 months in and out of hospital and had lost two stone due to ongoing issues with his abdomen following his incident. However, James hopes that one day he will be able to ride again.

Speaking of his incident, James said: “One of the paramedics came over and kept telling me to squeeze his hand, and focusing on this I believe kept me alive. I owe my life to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, if they hadn’t taken me to hospital so quickly, I wouldn’t have been able to have life-saving surgery.”

To thank the crew who helped save his life, James is planning on fundraising for the rapid response charity once lockdown is over.

Josh Bowers, from Leeds was out climbing for the day with friends when he fell from a boulder and badly dislocated his ankle.

“I remember getting stuck near the top and eventually my arm got tired, so I aimed for the crash mat below and hoped for the best”, said Josh.

Due to his remote location, the Yorkshire Air Ambulance was dispatched. After assessing Josh, their Critical Care Team gave him Entonox gas and successfully put his ankle back in place. Without the Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s quick intervention, Josh would have been at risk of losing his foot.

Lee Greenwood, Yorkshire Air Ambulance HEMS Paramedic said:” It was a pretty dramatic injury, his ankle was at 90 degrees.”

Josh was taken to Harrogate Hospital by road ambulance and discharged later that day. However follow up tests revealed that he had fractured the back of his foot and he was later admitted to Pinderfields Hospital for further tests.

Doctors warned Josh that he might not climb again, but thanks to extensive physio and sheer determination, Josh has defied doctor’s odds and he’s back doing the sport he enjoys.

“I was really concerned that I wouldn’t get back to doing my sport, so I ended up doing physio three times a day, every day for two or three months. I’m now back climbing twice a week at the moment and I’m happy to be back. I don’t want any more injuries though, I’m done with that.”

Speaking of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, Josh said: “The crew were brilliant. I don’t remember much, but they got there quite quickly, which is great to say how remote the area is.”

Dale Newman was cycling with friends at Gisburn Forest when the tyres of his mountain bike skidded on the grass and he plunged into a ditch.

“I don’t remember how I lost control. My friend didn’t see the accident either as he was a good 30 seconds behind me, he just found me lying there”, said Dale.

Dale’s friend Andy attempted to call emergency services, but due to the remote area where Dale had his accident, there was no mobile phone signal. Andy walked Dale to a nearby barn where they found a group of cyclists, including an off duty midwife who looked after Dale whilst Andy went to find signal and guided the medics to their location.

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance was dispatched and after assessing Dale’s serious injuries, they decided to fly him to the nearest major trauma centre at Preston Royal Infirmary.

Tests revealed that Dale had severely fractured his neck (he had split his C1 and C2 and crushed a number of his thoracic vertebrae’s, he had fractured his sternum, collar bone and also bruised his heart. He was 1mm away from severing his spinal cord, which would have left him paralysed.

Dale was in hospital for 11 days and his recovery has been a slow and painful process, but he’s now back at work and now almost fully recovered.

“I’m incredibly lucky that I’m going to make a full recovery, and I’ve taken a decision to use that drive and do everything I can in life now”, he said.

Christine Drury from Sheriff Hutton has been a longtime supporter of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and as part of the Sheriff Hutton Point to Point committee, she has helped raise over £100,000 to keep both of Yorkshire’s air ambulances flying over the region.

Sheriff Hutton Point to Point takes place every January and is held on racehorse trainer Michael Easterby’s land.

On the 25^th January 2019, Christine found herself requiring the rapid response charity which she has supported over the last 10 years, when she was kicked by a horse whilst out riding at her local stable.

Christine, who rides her horses every day when they are in training for the Point to Point, said: “I had been riding up the gallops and the horse in front kicked my shin.”

Due to the severity of Christine’s injury and the remote location of the incident, the Yorkshire Air Ambulance was dispatched. Christine was administered the strong painkiller ketamine by the YAA’s critical care crew as they needed to urgently straighten her leg at scene.

“I was relieved to see them coming to help and it was amazing seeing them land”, said Christine.

Christine was flown to York District Hospital and further tests revealed that she had sustained a serious fibula and tibula fracture. Due to the complexity of her injuries, she was later transferred to Hull Royal Infirmary by road ambulance, where she had a metal frame fitted and underwent a skin graft from her thigh to cover up the extensive injuries she’d sustained.

Christine spent 12 days in hospital and had to wear her metal frame for four and a half months, but thanks to the YAA, staff at Hull Royal and regular hydrotherapy and physiotherapy classes at Jack Berry House in Malton, a rehabilitation unit for northern based jockeys, Christine has made a full recovery.

Ryan Westmoreland, who was 31 at the time, was working on a Victorian house in Harrogate when he accidentally slipped from his ladder and fell 30ft on to the concrete patio floor.

The owner of the house witnessed the fall and called for the emergency services. Ryan was in an agitated state as he was suffering from a serious head injury.

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance was dispatched from their Nostell airbase and immediately after arriving on scene, their Critical Care Team put Ryan into an induced coma to relieve pressure from the brain.

Ryan was flown to Leeds General Infirmary and was prepped for emergency brain surgery. His recovery was touch and go.

Speaking of his incident, Ryan, said: “When the helicopter arrived at Leeds General Infirmary, one of the surgeons said to my mum that he would have to operate on me within the next 15 minutes or I would pass away.”

Ryan spent eight days in a coma. After not waking up after the initial four days, doctors prepared his family for the worst, and told them he might not make it.

“I feel very lucky to have made it through everything. I didn’t realise how bad things were when I woke up in hospital”, said Ryan.

To the surprise of Doctors at Leeds General Infirmary, Ryan made a miraculous recovery. To give back to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, whose fast transfer to hospital helped save Ryan’s life, Ryan’s family organized a walk from the scene of his incident to Leeds General Infirmary where he was flown to. As a result, the family raised over £10,000 for the Charity.

Jenny Jones, West and South Fundraising Manager for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, said: “The £10,000 raised by Ryan’s family will help tremendously towards the vital funding of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and will help us continue saving more lives across the region.

We are so glad to see that Ryan has now made a full recovery and we would like to wish him all the best for the future.”