A Hampshire lady is marking the tenth anniversary of a life-changing accident by raising money for the charity that saved her life, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance, on a 27-mile walk.
In a bid to raise money for the service that saved her life, Zoe and her fiancée Kath will be setting off on their marathon-distance walk from Zoe’s house in Winchester to University Hospital Southampton, the hospital she was airlifted to, exactly 10 years to the day of her accident.
As she was driving along the M3 by Winchester Services on 11 February, 2012, Zoe’s rear tyre blew, causing her to lose control of the vehicle and roll several times into a ditch.
The paramedics on scene quickly realised Zoe needed to be treated by the air ambulance team. Zoe was stabilised by the team and flown to University Hospital Southampton where she spent the next 24 hours in the Neurological Intensive Care Unit and a further six weeks recovering in hospital.
“I was completely alone,” says Zoe, “and have no recollection of the accident. I had a traumatic brain injury, which led to a bleed on the centre of my brain, a badly fractured pelvis and several broken ribs. After my stay in hospital, I got to come home to my wonderful daughters. And I have Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance to thank for that.”
Zoe initially suffered from post-traumatic amnesia, “I didn’t know what year it was, what country I was in or who the Prime Minister was. While it has obviously improved over time, my nickname is ‘Dory’ – from Finding Nemo – as I get distracted easily and can be forgetful.”
Since her accident in 2012, Zoe has thrown herself out of plane on a 10,000ft skydive and has abseiled down the Spinnaker Tower, Portsmouth, to raise money for the air ambulance charity.
“Though I can never repay them for what they did for me that day, I will always try to raise as much money for them as I can. They are my heroes. If people would consider donating to this incredible charity, I would be so grateful.”
To support Zoe on her 27-mile walk, visit her JustGiving page at: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/zoe-robertson23
