A lady visiting the Isle of Wight from Lincoln has praised Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance for saving her life after she fell from a seawall in Bembridge, fracturing her skull and spine.
It was back in May this year that 71-year-old Janine Ward was left semi-conscious and with a large wound to her head when she slipped and fell 9ft onto concrete steps at Forelands in Bembridge – an incident which means she will now spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair.
Janine and her husband, 72-year-old Trevor, had only arrived on the Isle of Wight hours before the accident on 7th May, as previously reported by Island Echo.
Due to the severity of her injuries, the air ambulance and Coastguard Rescue Teams from Bembridge and Ventnor were called to provide critical care and transport her to the region’s major trauma unit at Southampton. A doctor and paramedic from the air ambulance service administered strong pain relief and medication at the scene to improve and maintain Janine’s blood pressure, which had fallen very low.
Once stabilised, Janine was airlifted to hospital by air ambulance where she underwent emergency surgery.
Speaking about her ordeal, Janine said:
“I don’t want to sound dramatic, but Trevor thought I was dead. It wasn’t until I let out a groan that he learned I was alive. He is sure I wouldn’t have made it without the air ambulance.”
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While Janine recovered from her injuries, the rest of her family carried an extra burden. On the very same day as her fall, Janine’s brother dropped down dead. She explains:
“Trevor couldn’t tell me for two weeks because I just wasn’t strong enough to cope with it. It was awful. Life can change in the blink of an eye”.
Janine was later moved from Southampton to the Sheffield Spinal Cord Injuries Unit via a hospital in Nottingham. And, on 14th September, 4 months after her fall, she finally returned home.
Janine said:
“It was always a target to get home for Christmas as it is always a special time for us as a family. This year will be especially special. I want to say thank you to the Air Ambulance crew that helped save my life.”
Back in September, Janine’s son, Russ, raised £1,464 for the charity that saved his mum’s life, by completing the Lincoln City Centre Half Marathon.
This Christmas Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance will respond to around 10 incidents between 24-26th December, with the charity responding to a total of 148 potentially life-saving call-outs throughout the whole of last December.
It costs the air ambulance charity approximately £15,000 a day to maintain its service, with each mission costing on average £3,320.
For more information, visit www.hiowaa.org
The air ambulance did a brilliant job. What an amazing lady, still smiling and grateful to be here after all that has happened. Your family must be so proud of you, hope you have a wonderful time at Christmas.
Thank God the lady was taken to Southampton, would not be here today otherwise.