Archives: Patients

On the 14^th January 2019, Nikki Hazell, who works as a stables groom, was riding one of the race horses when she had a serious fall on the gallops.

Nikki, aged 45 from Middleham, has no recollection what happened the day of her accident. It is presumed that the horse had spooked and she was thrown off.

When Yorkshire Air Ambulance paramedics attended the scene, they decided it would be best to fly Nikki to James Cook University Hospital, where medics could assess her.

It was revealed that Nikki had a serious bleed on the brain, which required emergency surgery.  She subsequently spent a week in hospital recovering.

“I was told that my operation was vital and that if the Yorkshire Air Ambulance hadn’t flown me to hospital, I may not be here”, said Nikki.

Nikki still has a long road to recovery ahead of her and has been told it will be a while until she is back in the saddle. However, she has made good progress in a short period of time and she has been able to visit her horses.

Speaking of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, Nicola said: “I owe my life to the air ambulance and the crew, and will forever be grateful for all they did for me on the day of my accident.

On the 2^nd June 2018, David Iggo, from the Peak District, travelled to Doncaster Racecourse for a meeting and as he was leaving, he was struck by a car travelling at 40mph.

David was flung into the car’s windscreen and thrown 40ft through the air on to the road. Whilst waiting for the emergency services, David was in and out of consciousness and due to this, has little recollection of what happened.

“I remember hitting the car and thinking this is it, the end. I don’t remember anything after for about 25 minutes when I woke up in a road ambulance with the paramedics treating me”, said David.

A decision was made for Yorkshire Air Ambulance to fly David to Sheffield Northern General Hospital unit, where he was assessed for his injuries in their major trauma unit.

David had fractured his skull and had serious bleeding from the brain due a 6mm cut. He also had a dislocated finger and serious cuts and bruises to his head, hands and arms.

Despite his ordeal, David spent only 2 days in hospital and his injuries are almost fully recovered. However, the psychological impact of the accident is taking longer to heal.

Speaking of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, David said: “I cannot thank the YAA and the rest of the emergency services enough. You all do a fantastic job saving lives on a daily basis.”

On the 7^th January 2019, nine year old Oscar Moloney went for a walk with his older cousin and younger brother and whilst playing in a nearby meadow, he accidentally fell 30 feet from a rope swing.

Oscar was off school due to a Teacher’s Training Day, when his cousin knocked on the door and asked if he would like to take their dogs for a walk.  His younger brother also accompanied them.

During their walk, they came across an old tree swing, and when Oscar decided to have a go, he lost his grip and fell 30ft to the ground, knocking his head on the rocks then falling into a nearby stream where he was knocked unconscious.

Oscar’s cousin told Oscar’s little brother to run home and inform his parents of the situation and they both ran to the scene of the incident and called the emergency services.  His cousin, knowing Oscar was in extreme danger, had carefully lifted him out of the stream.

Jo Halliwell, Oscar’s Mother, said: “When Oscar’s brother came through the door and explained what had happened, I told him to tell Oscar to get up. But when he said that Oscar had fallen asleep, I knew something serious had happened.”

Due to the serious nature of the incident and the awkward and remote location, both the YAA and Calder Valley Search and Rescue team were called to assist Oscar.

The teams assessed Oscar and strapped him onto a stretcher then he was carried out of the gulley using a rope system. Due to the time of day, he was then then flown to Leeds General Infirmary under NVIS operations (night vision) by the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

When doctors at the LGI assessed Oscar, they discovered he had a haematoma on the back of his head and his spine had soft tissue damage, but otherwise he had a lucky escape. After spending three nights in hospital, he is now recovering at home.

Jo Halliwell, said: “I can’t thank everyone concerned enough, from the Calder Valley team to the paramedics and pilot of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.”

On the 9^th August 2017, Sam Bolton-Gould, aged 51, was commuting home from work through Halifax when a bus pulled out of a T-junction and his bike went into the side of it.

“I can’t remember anything – I can’t even remember commuting to work that day which is something I do regularly. I just remember waking up in hospital”, said Sam.

Sam’s bike hit the side of the emerging bus and despite his bike sustaining very little damage, the impact of the collision left Sam with severe head injuries.

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance flew Sam to Leeds General Infirmary, where he underwent an emergency 10 hour operation to fix his fractured skull and reconstruct his eye orbit.

Sam spent 10 days in hospital and has made a remarkable recovery, despite having no recollection of what happened that day.

A year to the day of his accident, on the 9^th August 2018, Sam, along with his wife, his sons and a group of friends, walked from the site of the accident in Halifax to Leeds General Infirmary to raise money for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

The walk, consisting of walkers of different abilities, took 10 hours and raised an incredible £4,644.42 for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. As well as the walk, the team also held raffles and organized various other fundraising events.

“I have been amazed by how generous people have been and the support we received during our fundraising. Our initial goal was to raise £3,000 but we managed to beat our target by a further 50%”, said Sam.

“It was great to see people cheer us on along the walk and support us through to the finish line – it just goes to show how greatly appreciated the Yorkshire Air Ambulance is in our area.”

He continued: “The Yorkshire Air Ambulance are an important service and people don’t really realise how necessary it is until you need them yourself. I’m grateful for everything they did that day.”

Nicky Barnfather, 52 from Stokesley, North Yorkshire went to tend to her horses when she realised they were at the wrong side of an electric fence.

As she began manoeuvring them and lowering the metal electric fencing, one of her horses decided to step over the metal wiring and got tangled. Spooked by what was happening, the horse began galloping and as Nicky tripped over, her foot became trapped and she was dragged 30 meters by the panic stricken horse.

“The pain was intense, I could barely move my foot”, said Nicky.  “My daughter kept telling me to stay away from the wiring, but it was too late.”

Nicky’s daughter began freeing her foot and first responders arrived on the scene to assess her injuries. As the extent of her injuries were discovered, the Yorkshire Air Ambulance was called in to transport her to the nearest trauma unit.

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance flew Nicky to James Cook University in Middlesborough, where it was revealed that she had broken her ankle in 12 pieces and had to be rushed for surgery.

Nicky spent four months in hospital over the Christmas period, but due to other medical issues, her recovery was not straight forward. Nicky contracted a severe infection in her bone due to complications from her other health conditions, resulting in Nicky needing an urgent blood transfusion.

Nicky’s ankle healed in the wrong shape due to her complications and had had to wear an external frame as well as have skin grafts to reconstruct her foot. She still endures daily pain and suffers from PSTD.  “It is like walking on broken glass” said Nicky, “for a while I couldn’t even put my shoes on.”

Speaking of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, Nicky said: “When Darren, one of the paramedics, was leaving the emergency room, I said if I never see you again, please make sure you tell the crew how grateful I am. I will always be thankful for what they did for me that day”

Caroline Shepherd, aged 37, from Helmsley, North Yorkshire, was out hunting on her horse at Lockton near Pickering when she suddenly collapsed and fell from her horse.

One of Caroline’s riding friends rushed to her rescue and began CPR while an ambulance was called. Due to the remote location and severity of Caroline’s accident the Yorkshire Air Ambulance was deployed.

“One minute I was speaking to my dad and then the next thing I can remember was waking up in hospital 8 days later”, said Caroline.

Caroline was airlifted to James Cook University Hospital, where doctors told her that she was lucky to be alive as she technically died.

Brain scans revealed that she had subarachnoid hemorrhage, and Caroline was operated on and put into an induced coma for seven days.

Caroline’s road to recovery has been long and she still suffers from fatigue and pain. However, with the guidance of her physiotherapist she has been able to get back on her horse and she has found riding highly therapeutic.

Since her accident, Caroline has raised £7,000 for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, hosting a pie and pea supper night at Pickering Recreation Club where over 200 people came to support her.

Paul Catteneo, 47 years old from Kirbymoorside, was heading home from work on a Friday night when a car crashed into his motorcycle.

He was heading down the road from Appleton and turning right to go towards Kirbymoorside on the A170 when a car drove into the side of him.

“I don’t remember anything at all, I just remember waking up sometime on Saturday the next day, said, Paul.

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance attended the accident and flew Paul to Hull Royal Infirmary, where the extent of his injuries were revealed.

Paul had multiple fractures of his right leg and right foot, which resulted in him wearing a metal cage for 11 months and led to the right foot being amputated.

He spent three weeks at Hull Royal Infirmary and a further 4 weeks at York hospital. Paul is still under the care of the specialist team at Hull Royal Infirmary and has regular physio sessions.

Speaking of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, Paul said: “I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for them. Their speed definitely helped save my life.”

On the 10^th October 2013, Darren Taylor, from Tadcaster, was heading to work as an Agricultural Contractor when a freak accident resulted in him being trapped in a potato harvester.

Darren was working on the potato harvester when he noticed a smell of smoke coming from the machine and he decided to investigate.

As Darren leaned over, his leg became entangled in one of the rollers and as he shifted his body weight to turn off the machine, his other leg and arm followed. He was stuck in the machine for 25 minutes before someone came to help.

“I hoped the machine would spit me out and I tried as hard as I could to free myself. Every time I moved, it felt like my body was doing the splits”, said Darren.

A team of emergency services fought to free Darren from the machine and he was then flown to Leeds General Infirmary by the Yorkshire Air Ambulance for emergency surgery.

Darren suffered from major crush injuries and as a result lost his left leg, the bottom of his right leg and severely damaged his arm. He was in a coma for eight days and spent three months in hospital.

Despite his ordeal, Darren recovered remarkably well and not to be deterred by his accident, he was back on a tractor three years to day of his accident and he’s now back at work part time.

On the 24^th January 2018, Beatrice Grenfell, aged five, from Whitby, was sent home from school due to feeling unwell.

“She was a little bit hot, but didn’t seem that poorly”, said Beatrice’s mother Vicky. “She asked to watch Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and she seemed okay.” Vicky briefly left the room and when she returned, she found Bea unconscious.

“When I came back into the room Bea had been sick and wet herself and she was staring blankly into space and was completely unresponsive. She then went into a prolonged seizure and began to turn blue”, said Vicky.

Vicky called 999 and the land ambulance arrived to assess Bea, followed shortly by the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. It was then decided that Bea would be flown to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, a journey which would take an hour by road, but took only thirteen minutes by air.

Bea was seen on the major trauma ward where she was put into an induced coma, then transferred into paediatric intensive care where she spent three days, whilst doctors worked on discovering what was wrong. A series of tests revealed that she had contracted Influenza B and RSV, both life threatening conditions in such a young child.

Luckily Bea made a full recovery, but in March, she received results from of her MRI scan and it revealed that Bea was showing signs of Neurofibromatosis type 1, which was one of many conditions doctors had been testing her. Further tests then went on to confirm she does have the condition.

Neurofibromatosis is a genetic disorder that causes tumours to develop on parts on your nervous system such as your brain, spinal cords and nerves and can lead to other chronic health conditions. It is often diagnosed in childhood and affects 1 in 3000 children.

“Bea’s diagnosis helped us gain some understanding into Bea, such as why she didn’t walk until nearly two and although she was a very active child, she struggled on long walks.”

Speaking of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, Vicky Grenfell said: “The Yorkshire Air Ambulance is an incredible service and they have my ultimate respect. I’m thankful for everything they did that day.”

Laura Warburton from Barnsley, was on her way home from a nightshift when she was involved in a life changing road traffic accident.

“I have no memory of the accident, nor being in the Air Ambulance, A&E, resus, intensive care or surgery. I was conscious, but I can’t recall anything prior to being on the high dependency unit”, said Laura.

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance flew Laura to Leeds General Infirmary, where it was revealed that Laura had fractured her wrist, hip, femur, neck and ankle and suffered a bleed on the brain.

Laura spent three and a half weeks at Leeds General Infirmary and was then transferred to Barnsley District General Hospital.

During her time in hospital, Laura underwent three surgeries to fix her wrist, hip and femur and spent 10 weeks in a neck brace to protect her neck fractures.

After being discharged, Laura was unable to weight bear for three months and the only way she was able to get around was by using a wheelchair and being transferred in and out of bed using a transfer board.

Laura still has a long way to full recovery, but so far is doing incredibly well and most importantly, she’s now able to ride her beloved horse Harvey again.

Speaking of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, Laura said: “I will be forever grateful for their service. Sammy, Al and Elaine, you are my absolutely heroes.”

On 27^th March 2012, Emma Driffield, 46, from Topcliffe near Thirsk, had her leg crushed by a recovery truck.

Emma’s car had broken down and she had to call out a recovery truck to move the vehicle. Whilst waving the recovery truck into the drive of her garage, Emma shouted stop, but the driver failed to hear and unfortunately her leg was crushed.

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance were called to the incident and subsequently flew Emma to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesborough, where it was revealed that she had soft tissue damage following the impact to her leg.

Emma said: “I spent two months on crutches and had a lot of physio on my leg. It took me more than a year to recover and I have been left with permanent scars.”

Six years after her accident, Emma is now raising funds for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance by taking part in the Yorkshire Marathon on Sunday 14^th October 2018.

When asked why she decided to embark on a marathon, Emma said: “I thought it’s now or never.  I’m not getting any younger and just wanted something so challenging. So I signed up to run the Yorkshire Marathon. I have two friends doing it with me also.”

She continued: “I wanted to raise funds for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance as they do a fantastic job. I often see them flying over the village and remember how brilliant they were with me

Michelle Booth and her family, from Huddersfield, were enjoying a summers day out to Brimham Rocks in North Yorkshire, a place they had been visiting for the last nine years, when her son had a dramatic fall.

Benjamin Booth, aged 16, who had mastered bouldering from a young age, misplaced his footing and fell 40ft from the rocks. His 12 year old sister witnessed the fall, along with strangers who rushed to his aid.

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance flew Benjamin to Leeds General Infirmary, where doctors discovered that he had fractured his pelvis in two places, fractured the bottom of his spine along with his wrist.

Medics were amazed at Benjamin’s relatively minimal injuries considering how far he fell, and couldn’t believe what happened. Benjamin is still coming to terms with his ordeal, but physically, he has made a remarkable recovery.

Michelle said: “Benjamin is steadily bouncing back and his x-rays are looking good. We’ve always supported the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, but having a firsthand experience of their work was surreal. We are grateful for what they did that day.”