“My life changed within a split second. I was 19 at the time – and I never thought the Air Ambulance would be called for someone my age.”
University of Surrey Business Management student Rachel was staying with her parents in Fareham during the Christmas break.
As she crosses the road outside Southampton Central Station, returning home from the cinema, a car speeds through a red light and crashes into Rachel’s right side. She is thrown into the air and hurls towards to the ground.
Two off-duty nurses run over to Rachel and call 999.
Rachel has a head injury and is bleeding from her ear. She also has severe pain in her lower back, right hip and right upper leg.
Pictured left to right: Lottie (Rachel’s friend) and Rachel – the pair will be running Dash in the Dark in September together.
“I don’t remember any of that pain now, which is nice,” said Rachel. “I probably don’t remember from up until a few days before the crash.
“I can’t even remember what I had been to see at the cinema.”
Just four minutes after the 999 call, our dispatcher deploys two of our specialist paramedics in our Critical Care Paramedic car. They are by Rachel’s side just 18 minutes later and get to work.
Life-changing injuries
The crew suspect that Rachel has a right sided hip injury and a possible fracture of the lower spine. They place a pelvic binder around her waist – a device used to compress the pelvis to try and stop the bleeding – and give her strong medication to reduce the pain and lower her blood pressure.
Together with their colleagues from South Central Ambulance Service, they place Rachel onto a scoop and under a heated blanket. They carefully lift her into the back of a road ambulance and leave for University Hospital Southampton.
Our specialist paramedic team travel in the back of the ambulance with Rachel to continue her care and ensure she remains stable.
One of the off-duty nurses on scene phones Rachel’s parents to tell them what’s happened. They jump in the car and follow Rachel’s location on their phone, but narrowly miss the ambulance and their daughter.
“My parents were terrified. Mum thought she was going to have a heart attack.”
They arrive at hospital where they’re told that Rachel has a broken pelvis – she has also sustained concussion from a severe head injury and damaged her right knee.
Road to recovery
After six days in hospital, Rachel is discharged home to her parents with visits from occupational therapists to keep her on track.
“When I came out of hospital the pelvis was my main concern. But as time’s gone on, it’s the head injury that’s holding me back,” said Rachel.
“I was back to square one – living with my parents again after being at university for a year and a half. Everyone was getting on with their lives, but I was stuck in time. I had lost a lot of confidence.”
While at university, Rachel was a keen rower and athlete. She even ran a 10K the morning of her accident – not that she remembers it.
She said: “I’d just joined a new rowing programme that was hopefully going to lead to Team GB trials – it wasn’t guaranteed, of course. I was due to travel to Seville for a training camp a week after the accident. I was probably at my peak fitness and then suddenly, I couldn’t do any of those things.”
To help guide her through the coming weeks and months, Rachel begins speaking to our Aftercare Manager Tom Nickisson-Richards.
“Tom was so kind and understanding. I was really surprised when he told me that I was sort of with it after I was hit. So, somewhere deep in my brain that memory is there. But he was able to give me a better understanding of what happened.”
These chats with Tom inspire Rachel to sign up to our night-time 5K, Dash in the Dark.
“I didn’t know Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance was a charity. And I’ve spoken to loads of people who just don’t know. That’s why I’m so keen to share my story and do Dash in the Dark.”
“I’m just so incredibly grateful. My life changed within a split second. I was 19 at the time – and I never thought the Air Ambulance would be called for someone my age.
“You never think it’s going to be you.”
