Your Air Ambulance doesn’t stop for Christmas or New Year. Last December, your support meant we were dispatched to 187 potentially life-saving call-outs, including seven on Christmas Day.
Unlike most of us, Specialist Paramedic Lead Mark Durell and Specialist Paramedic Dolly McPherson won’t be prepping the veg or delivering presents, they’ll be prepping the kit and delivering emergency care to those who need it.
Mark, who has been flying with us since 2022, and Dolly, 2020, are part of the teams who will be responding to calls over the festive period, including Christmas Day and New Years Day.
There for you this Christmas
Looking ahead to spending Christmas on base Mark said, “We’ll do our normal morning brief, get ourselves ready to spend the day flying, check all our equipment and then have a potentially busy day attending to the various incidents that happen across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.”
“To be part of the Christmas crew on Christmas Day is actually kind of special,” added Dolly.
“You’re all in here to be part of a team and you try to make the day as special as you can – while also knowing that you’re out there seeing people, having a really tough Christmas Day.”
“You want to bring something special and important by helping them.”
“Christmas Day can be a day of highs and lows for us as a team,” Mark elaborates.
“We can go to some patients that really need our help that we can change the outcome of and forever give them a Christmas Day that they can remember fondly. But we can also go to some patients who we’re not able to help, which always causes an extra bit of sadness at this time of year.
“But we always come together and look after each other because that’s the only way that we can really look after our patients as effectively as possible.”
“If it wasn’t for them doing CPR, I wouldn’t be here now. No doubt about it.”
While enjoying a “Christmas like any other” with her husband, daughter and grandchildren, 59-year-old Jeanette Trebilcock collapsed at her home in Eastleigh.
She was in cardiac arrest. Her husband and neighbour started CPR.
Due to the severity of Jeanette’s condition, the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance doctor and specialist paramedic team were dispatched, landing in a nearby sports field.
The crew performed a pre-hospital emergency anaesthetic – a procedure that can only be delivered by a helicopter emergency medical service team.
They sedated her and administered adrenaline to increase the chances of restoring a heartbeat, before taking her to hospital by road.
“When I woke up a few days later and they told me the date, I was so confused. I couldn’t remember any of Christmas,” said Jeanette. “I feel very emotional about that, even now.”
“I’m slowly getting back to normal. I try to remember back to that day, but it’s just awful.
Looking ahead to the family’s plans this year Jeanette said, “We’ve got a lot to celebrate – I’ve been given a second chance. There’re around 40 of us going out to mark my rebirth day (29).
“But that wouldn’t be possible without the care I received. I owe my life to my husband, my daughter, my neighbour and all the emergency services who helped me. I’m so grateful. I can’t thank everyone enough.
“If it wasn’t for them doing CPR, I wouldn’t be here now. No doubt about it.”
Thank you
“I don’t feel like working on Christmas Day is a sacrifice; working as part of the crew on Christmas Day is not a difficult job to do because of our brilliant team that I’m proud to be a member of,” Dolly said.
“But without your help, the team here would not be able to deliver such an important service for our patients both at Christmas and all year-round.
“On behalf of everyone here, we want to say thank you for your incredible support and to wish you and those close to you a very Merry Christmas.”
We will be busy responding to critically ill and injured patients over the Christmas period. Support us today and help us be there for those patients.
