Archives: Patients

On the 31^st October, 2017, Joanne Laythorpe, suffered a cardiac arrest at her place of work in Doncaster.

Her sister, who works with her, had just walked out of the room and when she returned, she saw Joanne gasping for air and collapsing right in front of her. First aiders rushed to Joanne to give her CPR, whilst her sister called 999.

“My colleague who performed CPR and mouth to mouth said when the paramedics worked on me, it was like being in a live episode of the TV show E.R”, said Joanne.

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance doctor on scene, put Joanne into an induced coma and she was then flown to Sheffield Northern General Hospital. Joanne spent three days in a coma and when she eventually woke up, Joanne was diagnosed with temporary short term memory loss.

Further tests revealed that Joanne has cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle, and she has since had a subcutaneous ICD implanted.

Speaking of her ordeal, Joanne said: “I feel like I have made a full recovery from the cardiac arrest and it is all thanks to the quick actions of my sister finding me on the floor and raising the alarm, my colleagues and the amazing Yorkshire Air Ambulance paramedics Sammy Wills and Sam McCreesh.

“Thank you to everyone involved with the Yorkshire Air Ambulance for being truly amazing, your efforts will forever be appreciated.”

Jackie Cheetham, from Pickering, had been experiencing dizziness, chest pain and tiredness. A few days later, a routine checkup at her local doctors would reveal that Jackie had a life changing condition.

Jackie was booked in for an appointment with her GP on June 14^th 2017 at Pickering Medical Practice. She said: “For two weeks I had been feeling dizzy every time I walked and generally feeling weird as if I just had no energy but the feeling would come and go so I ignored it. My kids kept begging me to see a doctor.”

During her appointment, the doctor checked Jackie’s blood pressure, which at the time seemed normal, until she was asked to stand up and her blood pressure shot up. Jackie was immediately given an ECG and asked to wait in a side room. Moments later, Jackie was told that she had a heart block and that the Yorkshire Air Ambulance were on their way.

“I told the doctor that calling the air ambulance seemed a little bit extreme. However, when the paramedics arrived and they did further tests, it revealed that my heart was only beating at 23 beats per minute”, said Jackie.

“When I was put on a trolley and taken round to the air ambulance, I felt like a total fraud as I didn’t feel that ill”, she said.

Jackie was flown from Pickering to James Cook Hospital in Middlesborough. That night, Jackie’s heart rate dropped to 20 beats per minute and she was rushed to theatre to have an emergency pace maker fitted.

Doctors told Jackie that she was lucky she got to hospital when she did because her heart could have stopped at any moment.

Speaking of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, Jackie said: “There’s no doubt that the air ambulance saves lives, it helped to save mine that day. I cannot thank them enough.”

On the 20^th January 2015, Ali Greenfield, from Newport, entered the outdoor horse riding arena at Oxmardyke Livery Stables in Gilberdyke, in preparation for a dressage test, when her horse spooked and did a 180 degree spin, resulting in her being thrown sideways under the horse’s neck.

Ali said: “It all happened very quickly. I felt the speed of his spook and hitting the floor.  I remember Ketamine being given by the air ambulance doctor so I could be moved.”

As a result of the accident, Ali broke her right shoulder, right upper arm and her right hip and was flown to Hull Royal Infirmary by the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

“I’m not a lover of hospitals and wanted to recover at home, so after three days the doctor agreed to let me go. However, the overall recovery took just over two years”, Ali said.

Unfortunately Ali is no longer able to ride her horse as she is still in a lot of pain and has limited movement in her arm and hips.

When asked about the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, Ali said: “The air ambulance does a fantastic job and I will be eternally grateful to them.”

Sue Kesic and her family, from Steeton, West Yorkshire, was driving back from the Lake District when she was involved in a head on collision with another vehicle.

As a result of the car crash, Sue suffered a multitude of life changing injuries, including a broken back bone, wrist and right humerus, plate damage, a patella fracture on the right leg and patella fracture on the left leg as well as heel and shin damage. Sue also had to endure 12 hours of cosmetic surgery due to skin damage.

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance flew Sue to Preston Hospital, where she was admitted for five weeks, she was then moved to Airedale hospital for three weeks and now Sue is in a rehabilitation unit in West Yorkshire, where she is learning to walk again.

Speaking about her injuries, Sue said: “I could sit around and think why me and feel depressed or I can look forward to the future and be thankful that I’m alive. I’ve chosen the latter.”

She continued: “If it wasn’t for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, I possibly wouldn’t be here today and I’m forever grateful.”

Since Sue’s accident, her work friends have raised £1,000 on her behalf for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and Sue is adamant that she will follow in their footsteps once she makes a full recovery

Experienced rambler Scott Housley, 72, from Harrogate, was walking near Moughton Scar on the side of Ingleborough with a group of his friends, when he slipped on a steep fell side and fell 30ft.

Scott said: “I remember looking through a gap in the wall to see if I could see a track down, and before I knew it, I was falling rapidly through the rocks.

Luckily for Scott, his group of experienced walking friends were carrying first aid kits and space blankets, and they stemmed any bleeding until the Yorkshire Air Ambulance crew arrived.

Scott was flown to Leeds General Infirmary, where the serious extent of his injuries were revealed. Scott had fractured his eye socket, broken his nose, broken his jaw, fractured his wrist and finger and his clavicle.

Speaking of his accident, Scott said: “The Yorkshire Air Ambulance helped rescue me and tended to my injuries and I’m incredibly grateful. 6 months after the accident, I’m now back walking and scrambling in the Dales and Moors.”

Keen to give something back to the charity, earlier this month, Scott was officially made a volunteer for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and is looking forward to raising funds for the charity that came to his rescue.

Scott said: “I knew of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance in principle, but after my accident I began researching further into the charity and liked what I saw. I knew the organisation was something that I wanted to be a part of.”

Ian Werret, 52, and his wife Clare, 44, from Doncaster, were on a bike ride in the Selby area, when Ian was overtaking a car turning off a motorway, resulting in the collision.

Ian and Clare were flung from the back of the motorbike and ended up lying 10 yards away from each other on a grass verge.

With the Yorkshire Air Ambulance in attendance, it was down to the paramedics on board to assess the severity of both parties injuries. Subsequently, Ian was flown to the Major Trauma Centre at Leeds General Infirmary as he was deemed the most seriously injured of the two, and Clare was taken by land ambulance to Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield.

Clare continued: “I remember the air ambulance crew checking over my knee and I didn’t know how Ian was. Then I overheard that his stats were dropping and he needed to be airlifted.”

Assessments at Leeds General Infirmary revealed that Ian had cracked two vertebrae, nine broken ribs, fractured his shoulder and had two collapsed lungs. Clare suffered from leg injuries, a broken rib and also a collapsed lung. They both went on to make a good recovery considering their injuries.
Despite their horrific accident, biker of 37 years Ian, has not been put off riding. As soon as they returned home from hospital, his first priority was to assess the damage of his prized bike.

Speaking of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, Clare said: “If it wasn’t for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, I don’t think my husband would here today.”

Avid cyclist, Dave Jefferson was cycling around North Dalton last year when he fell off his bike and had to be airlifted to Hull Royal Infirmary by the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

As a result of his fall, Dave, aged 54, from Market Weighton, suffered from a bleed on the brain, a broken collar bone and ribs and burns to his shoulders and knees.

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance airlifted Dave to Hull Royal Infirmary where he underwent intensive treatment and was told that if it wasn’t for the air ambulance service and the fact that he was wearing a helmet, he possibly wouldn’t be here today.

Dave Jefferson said: “The charity is absolutely fantastic and you never know when you might need them. They are amazing people and what they do every single day is outstanding.”

Malcolm Lowe, aged 58, from Winksley near Harrogate was out on a bike ride with his friends on the 27^th May 2017, riding towards his home village, when he failed to see the give way markings on the road and drove into the side of an oncoming transit van.

Dirt and debris, covered the give way markings at junction heading into an A road and when Malcolm missed them, he cycled straight forward and drove into the side of a van, hitting his head on the wing mirror. Luckily for Malcolm, he was wearing a helmet.

From the impact, to when he arrived in hospital, Malcolm still can’t remember much of his near fatal accident, but he has been living with the severe injuries as a result of the accident.

Malcolm was flown to the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, by the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and when medics at the hospital assessed Malcolm, it was revealed that he had broken his skull around his right eye, which needed five plates to put it back into place.  However his eyeball had suffered severe trauma and unfortunately could not be saved.

Malcolm also damaged his phrenic nerve in his lungs when he fell off his bike, which has reduced his lung capacity from 10Litres to 7litres – he is now awaiting further surgery.

Despite his injuries, Malcolm’s accident has not deterred him from his love of cycling and as soon as it was safe to do so, Malcolm was back riding across the country. He has since completed multiple triathlons and races including a 107 mile race around Anglesey, North Wales and cycling still remains his primary way of keeping fit.

Speaking of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance Malcolm said: “They got there quickly, in the shortest possible time and helped with my trauma in the best way possible, I can’t thank them enough.”

Malcolm Lowe, aged 58, from Winksley near Harrogate was out on a bike ride with his friends on the 27^th May 2017, riding towards his home village, when he failed to see the give way markings on the road and drove into the side of an oncoming transit van.

Dirt and debris, covered the give way markings at junction heading into an A road and when Malcolm missed them, he cycled straight forward and drove into the side of a van, hitting his head on the wing mirror. Luckily for Malcolm, he was wearing a helmet.

From the impact, to when he arrived in hospital, Malcolm still can’t remember much of his near fatal accident, but he has been living with the severe injuries as a result of the accident.

Malcolm was flown to the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, by the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and when medics at the hospital assessed Malcolm, it was revealed that he had broken his skull around his right eye, which needed five plates to put it back into place.  However his eyeball had suffered severe trauma and unfortunately could not be saved.

Malcolm also damaged his phrenic nerve in his lungs when he fell off his bike, which has reduced his lung capacity from 10Litres to 7litres – he is now awaiting further surgery.

Despite his injuries, Malcolm’s accident has not deterred him from his love of cycling and as soon as it was safe to do so, Malcolm was back riding across the country. He has since completed multiple triathlons and races including a 107 mile race around Anglesey, North Wales and cycling still remains his primary way of keeping fit.

Ken Allanby, 75, from Baldersby, North Yorkshire, always led an active lifestyle riding motorcycles, cycles and walking with his family. He had always been generally fit and healthy, until one day he suddenly suffered a serious heart attack.

Catherine, Ken’s wife, had just returned home from walking their dog when her husband started complaining of chest pains.  She left the room to book him a doctor’s appointment, but when she returned, his condition had rapidly deteriorated.

Catherine, a retired nurse, said: “He suddenly went grey and started gasping for air. As soon as he started crying I knew something was wrong and he told to me call an ambulance.”

Paramedics who were first on scene assessed Ken and told him that he would need to go to hospital for some bloods tests. However, moments later Ken went into cardiac arrest.

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance were immediately scrambled given Ken’s serious condition, and when they arrived at Ken’s home, he was in a critical condition. Paramedics had already managed to restart his heart, but time was of the essence and he needed immediate transfer to hospital.

YAA medics helped to stabilise Ken then they flew him to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.  During the 15 minute journey, which would have taken 45 minutes on the road, the team were on standby in case of any further deterioration in Ken’s condition. Only 5% of cardiac arrests are successfully resuscitated, and Ken had already defied the odds earlier that day.

Luckily, Ken arrived at the hospital and was quickly handed over to cardiac surgeons, who managed to successfully remove a blockage from his heart, and he was well on the road to recovery within four days.

Since his distressing ordeal, Ken has been able to go back to the things he enjoyed doing such as riding his motorbike, but he also vowed to make sure he does 30 minutes of exercise daily to keep his heart healthy.

Catherine added: “The Yorkshire Air Ambulance and the local paramedics were absolutely fabulous. From the speed that they arrived, to how they handled the situation, you really couldn’t fault them.”

Pickering – October 2017

When the Yorkshire Air Ambulance flies into Pickering, the local residents know that it is more than likely to be for one particular person, Libby Waterton.

Libby, 14, suffers from a rare condition called Idiopathic Anaphylaxis, which causes severe allergic reactions.  Often there is no identifiable cause. Since the age of two, Libby has had over 160 episodes causing heart problems, difficulty breathing and swelling.

Due to the severe nature of Libby’s condition, and the urgent need for her to receive swift medical intervention as quickly as possible, since October 2017, she has been airlifted to hospital six times by the Yorkshire Air Ambulance from their small village in Pickering.

Frequent visits from the Yorkshire Air Ambulance means that Libby is now known pretty well locally, but her network of friends and the local residents have always made sure that they rally around for support.  She has also received a letter addressed from the House of Commons in support of her condition.

Keen to give something back to the charity that has saved her life on more than one occasion, Libby has turned her hand to fundraising and through a variety of events, including a bake sale and fashion show, she has now raised £1,558.55.

Libby has very little recollection of what happens during her trips on board the helicopter, but said she knows that if it wasn’t for them, she wouldn’t be where she  is now. “I really look up to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and appreciate all the help from the medical staff that has been called out to rescue me.  I now want to be able to give something back and spread awareness about my condition to help others in a similar situation to me”

Karen Waterton, Libby’s mother, said: “We often get told that we should keep Libby wrapped in a bubble and not let her outside in case she has a reaction, but our priority is to ensure that she leads a normal teenage life as much as possible. We’re really proud of how she manages her condition, her ongoing positivity and the fact that she has raised so much money for such an important cause.”

Libby and her family are now working with doctors in the U.S to gain further insight into her condition and are currently training their new puppy, Bailey, to be Libby’s medical assistance dog to hopefully help manage her condition in the future.

Castleton, West Yorkshire – July 2017

Richard Liversidge, aged 48, has suffered from unexplained seizures for the last two years and last year, on the 27th July 2017, he was riding his motorbike just meters away from his home when had a seizure and fell head first on to the tarmac.

Luckily for Richard, a neighbour who recognised him came to his rescue, informing the emergency services and his wife, Karen, who rushed to his aid.

Karen, said: “I’m totally amazed how brilliant the Yorkshire Air Ambulance were. They landed in a nearby park and were the first on scene – the paramedics from the road ambulance didn’t even realise that they had been called.”

When the helicopter crew arrived, Richard’s heart beat was 12 beats per minute (compared to a normal resting heart rate of 60bpm) and he was struggling to breathe. Due to landing head first on tarmac, the crew also suspected that he had head injuries.

In November 2009, Carrie Cheeseman was forced to cancel her wedding after she was involved in a serious road accident, just yards from her home in Leeds.

Carrie and her two young children, Maxwell and Scarlett were hit by a car just a fortnight before she was due to get married.

She suffered a multitude of serious injuries and was air lifted to hospital by the Yorkshire Air Ambulance spending a month in Leeds General Infirmary and many more painful months recovering at home.

Her then two-and-a-half year old son, Maxwell suffered from head injuries and her nine-month-old daughter, Scarlett broke her ribs and Pelvis with further injuries to her Liver.

In what was a traumatic year, the YAA was also called out to her husband-to-be Stephen who came off his bike while training for a triathlon six months later.