WINTER 2014/15 HELIMED 56 Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance Magazine Goodbye to our Pilot Dave Bronniman Andrew Read , an amazing achievement at Run for It! Berridge goes to extreme lengths for HIOWAA FOLLOW ME Welcome to the Winter Contents issue of HELI MED 56 Welcome from Alex Lochrane 1 Patient Story - Ben Coward 2 What an exciting time to be joining such a fantastic charity! Love your Air Ambulance 3 David Berridge 4- 5 The week I joined HIOWAA, everywhere I turned I either read Re-Use-Ya Shoes Day 6- 7 or heard about the news that we will be upgrading to a new Readers’ Photos 8 helicopter to start night flying next year. Getting to know us – 9 Alex Lochrane Patient Story - Sheila Darby 10 From being able to attend road traffic determined, seasoned leadership. I know Ladies Wot Swim 11 collisions in the evening rush hour on many will miss him, but I hope we have Run For It! 12- 13 winter nights, to medical incidents after not seen the last of him. On behalf of you Winter Events 13 the hours of darkness, this expansion of all, I thank him profoundly and wish him Dave Bronniman 14 our service is a huge step forward for us. and Marilyn a very happy retirement Flight for Life 15 None of it could have happened without honing their golf handicap! Sue Tull - Challenges 16- 17 your continued generosity and I feel truly Knight Frank 18 privileged to be working for a charity that We have ambitious plans for Sailing Regatta 19 has such strong support from the the years ahead and our costs Minutes Matter 19 community that it serves. are set to nearly double when Driver Awareness Course 20 I look forward very much to getting Patient Story - 21 out and about as soon as possible, to we begin night flying next year. Samantha O’Sullivan start meeting as many of you as possible, Saddle up 22 These are exciting and important times, and learning what your HIOWAA means The Ride of your Life 23 and I already know what a motivated and to you. Battleships 24 passionate team I will be leading as we I join the charity at a time of many Bag it Up 25 take your charity forward. changes, and it is with a real sadness that And finally, one of the first things that I we are saying ‘good bye’ to our Pilot Hampshire and Isle of Wight was asked when I joined the charity was Dave Bronniman, a hugely admired Pilot Air Ambulance ‘Did I have a suitable hat for Hats4Hiowaa who leaves a very big pair of boots to fill. Day ?’ It’s a long time since I was asked to 4 Kings Park Road, Southampton I have heard many stories from former wear a hat to work for the day, but I got Hampshire SO15 2AS patients, who always remember how into the spirit and dug out the brightest Dave’s cheerful disposition helped to pull t. 023 8033 3377 and boldest hat I could find in my wife’s e. enquiries@hio w- airambulance.org.uk them through during their hour of need. wardrobe. Photos appeared on the ww w.hiow -airambulance.org.uk Also, I never had the honour of meeting HIOWAA Facebook feed the next day and Charity No. 1106234 Paramedics Fraser Rowbotham and John I’m pleased to say that now I feel ready Gamblin, both of whom have moved on for anything that might lie ahead in the Editor: Sherie Williams Ellen to new and exciting challenges, but I Design and Production: CB Graphics, Cliff Bryant next few years! Photography: would like to pay a special tribute to Front cover: Sherie Williams Ellen Fraser, who joined the HIOWAA crew at Inside Front cover: Els Freshwater the very start of operations back in 2007 Alex Lochrane Chief Executive All the rest: Staff and Volunteers and went on to become a Paramedic Team Leader. We wish them all the very best as they move on to pastures new – they will be much missed, but always welcome back. It would be very remiss of me to forget one other very important leaver. I am certain you will all want to join me in thanking John Perry for his many years of dedicated leadership of HIOWAA. He has brought us to where we are today with a combination of grit, charm and 1 Patient’s Story Ben Coward… how not to ride a bike! I was cycling with a friend of mine in Chilworth Woods when I attempted a jump that I maybe could have attempted as a 16 year old boy, but not as a middle aged man. I ended up flying through the air and don’t recall much, apart from landing on my collar bone. I had a tension pneumothorax and were trying to locate us. I was in and out straight away was in a great deal of pain of consciousness, but recall the feeling and couldn't breathe. My friend (Neil) of taking off when I eventually got in called an ambulance immediately as he the helicopter. could tell something was seriously wrong. Neil said that once they had put in the Due to our location, Neil had to leave drain there was a sense of relief from all me and go off to find the Paramedics. the medical professionals. He had to call When they arrived, Neil said they my wife, which he maintains was an immediately requested that a Doctor interesting phone call. She and my mum come to the scene. They were superb were advised to go to Southampton (I wrote a thank you letter to them!) as General Hospital, and they got there the experience of a helicopter ride as I if they hadn't diagnosed the condition before I arrived and had to watch me was lying flat and unconscious most quickly enough, I am aware that I may being brought down from the landing pad. of the way. not be here today. There were a number My mum said that it was scary seeing me, I spent three days in hospital with a of emergency services involved - several as I was wrapped up and had drips drain in me. I had also broken six ribs and ambulances, the Doctor and helicopter. attached - they couldn't actually see that my collar bone was in four pieces. After A random cyclist was asked by the it was me. six weeks of recovery at home I had to Paramedics to cycle to the other side of I am so grateful for the medical have an operation on my collar bone and a the woods to get an oxygen cylinder, as intervention; for the decisions made metal bar put in to piece it back together. mine was running out and it was quicker throughout, the calming support and the I was off work for three months and had for the cyclist than on foot! urgency of the Air Ambulance to get me to have regular scans and check ups. I was Over the next hour or so, I had lots of to the trauma department. The event has in lots of pain and it took a long time to be medication, including a lot of Ketamine, made both my parents and parents in law able to do the simple things, such as lying as the Doctor had to put in a chest drain. regularly donate to the Air Ambulance as on my back or side, bending over or The Doctor made the call to request the it provides such a valuable service. I never making the slightest physical movements, Air Ambulance due to my location and expected to be using the Air Ambulance as I was so short of breath. Also I can state. One of the bizarre things was and those who use it very rarely do. My strongly advise against sneezing when you being laid on my back and seeing the only regret is that I couldn't fully enjoy have six broken ribs! helicopter hover over the trees as they My friend came to my house after a few days and told me how serious it all was and this was when it really hit home and the emotions kicked in. Now when my young nephew sees the Air Ambulance he always tells me that it is my taxi! I am more aware of my capabilities now, and how close I came to not being here. It hasn’t put me off being on my bike though, and I was back on it later in the year. In a twist of fate, though, I fell off my bike again and broke three more ribs and damaged my Rotator Cuff. Fortunately, it was just an ordinary ambulance ride on this occasion! 2 Love Your AIR AMBULANCE Month In October we launched our first ‘Love Your Air Ambulance Month’, asking our supporters to show their appreciation for the work carried out on a daily basis by our Paramedics, Doctors and Pilots. We wanted to see how much money could be raised during the month, calling upon our supporters to get involved with everything from sponsored silences to cake sales, dressing up and marathons. We appealed to local companies to get behind the campaign, asking individuals to step forward as company ‘Ambassadors’ for the month, spurring on their colleagues to help a life saving service. DS Medical, Caffe Nero and Sentinel Housing Association were some of the companies to get involved.