Charity

How my life was saved by Wales Air Ambulance after garage roof fall

Published

2 weeks ago

September 2, 2024

A WEST WALES man has spoken out about the lifesaving care he received from the Welsh Air Ambulance after a terrifying accident at his home. Chris Heyns, who works for Utility Warehouse, shared his story in hopes of highlighting the vital service provided by the air ambulance team.

On 21st July, Mr Heyns, from Bridgend, suffered a serious accident when he fell from the roof of his garage, landing on the concrete floor below. The fall left him unconscious and, upon regaining consciousness, he was in excruciating pain. It was later revealed that he had shattered two vertebrae and sustained a bleed on the brain.

“My wife called 999, but unfortunately, the nearest ambulance wouldn’t arrive for around 80 minutes,” Mr Heyns recalled. “However, just five minutes later, she received a call saying the air ambulance would be with me in 15 minutes.”

The Welsh Air Ambulance team arrived swiftly and provided Mr Heyns with much-needed pain relief, helping to ease his suffering. His wife described the crew as “amazing and so professional” in their handling of the situation.

Mr Heyns was airlifted to Cardiff University Hospital, where he underwent spinal surgery the following day. After spending three weeks in hospital, he is now recovering at home, though he acknowledges that the road to full recovery will take time.

Reflecting on the ordeal, Mr Heyns expressed his deep gratitude for the air ambulance service. “I could not imagine what my wife and I would have had to endure if the Welsh Air Ambulance team hadn’t arrived so swiftly,” he said.

Although Mr Heyns admits that he had never previously donated to the air ambulance, his experience has prompted him to take action. “After my ordeal, I’m pledging to raise money next year to truly say a huge thank you for being there for all of us in times of need.”

Mr Heyns’ story serves as a powerful reminder of the critical role played by the Welsh Air Ambulance in saving lives across the region, often in the most challenging of circumstances.

The Welsh Air Ambulance Charity operates four helicopters, which are on standby 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, covering every corner of Wales. Each year, the service responds to approximately 3,500 missions, delivering advanced critical care to those in dire need, whether in remote rural areas, busy urban centres, or on major roads. The helicopters are equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment, and the highly skilled crews include critical care practitioners, paramedics, and consultants.

Since its inception in 2001, the Welsh Air Ambulance has saved countless lives, providing a lifeline for patients who might otherwise face long waits for emergency treatment. The charity relies entirely on public donations to keep flying, with each mission costing an average of £1,500.

For many, like Mr Heyns, the Welsh Air Ambulance is not just a service but a literal lifesaver, making it an essential part of the emergency medical landscape in Wales. As Mr Heyns prepares to raise funds to support the charity, his story highlights the importance of sustaining this vital service for the benefit of all.

Charity

RNLI scroll to arrive in Tenby for 200th anniversary signing ceremony

Published

14 hours ago

September 18, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE RNLI 200 scroll, which is currently making its way across lifeboat stations and RNLI communities throughout the UK and Ireland, is set to arrive in Tenby on Monday, 23rd September. The scroll, which bears the RNLI pledge, will be signed by members of the Tenby Lifeboat Station team in a special public ceremony.

The signing event, scheduled for 4:30pm, offers the local community and visitors the chance to witness this significant moment in RNLI history. The scroll is part of the RNLI’s bicentenary celebrations, symbolising the unity and dedication of the organisation’s lifeboat crews, lifeguards, shop volunteers, and fundraising branches.

The RNLI 200 scroll has been travelling through numerous lifeboat stations, shops, lifeguard units, and fundraising branches, as it connects RNLI communities in a shared celebration of the organisation’s rich heritage and its ongoing commitment to saving lives at sea.

All are welcome to attend the signing at Tenby Lifeboat Station to mark this memorable occasion.

Charity

Welsh rugby great supports lifesaving charity in unique partnership

Published

2 days ago

September 17, 2024

Herald Sport

WELSH rugby great Shane Williams, MBE, has thrown his support behind Wales Air Ambulance and four of its medics who will be taking on Ironman this weekend.

Like Shane, the Charity’s medics Mike Palmer, Ruby Thomas, Simon Cartwright and Caroline Arter, will push their bodies to its limit to take on the ultimate challenge of Ironman Wales – swapping their flight suits for tri-suits.

The gruelling long-distance triathlon consists of a 2.4-mile sea swim, a 112-mile hilly bike course and a marathon through the streets of Tenby. 

Shane’s new sportswear brand, AGILIS, has provided each of the medics with Wales Air Ambulance branded tri-suits free of charge, but the support doesn’t end there. The unique partnership will see AGILIS support the Charity in future events, providing discounted sportswear to enable the Wales Air Ambulance to raise even more funds.

Shane said: “I am very proud to say that myself and AGILIS will be working in partnership with Wales Air Ambulance. Obviously, it’s a fantastic Charity and cause, we’ve all seen the great work that they have done, how amazing they are and the difference they make to a lot of people’s lives, so I am very proud to be associated with them on this adventure.”

Since retiring from the professional game Shane has found a new passion for endurance sports.

As part of the unique partnership between the brand and the Charity, the former Wales and British and Irish Lions international rugby player will show his support to the lifesaving Charity by wearing one of the Wales Air Ambulance tri-suits.

Shane continued: “I can’t wait to get out there with all the great fantastic people. I’ve met the crew taking part on Sunday, there are some real good triathletes there. I’m looking forward to seeing them do their business on the Ironman course and what’s exciting is that I’m going to be running and cycling in the Wales Air Ambulance colours, red and green! I’ve got the Welsh colours back on! It will be a very tough day, but I’m very proud.”

AGILIS will be supporting the Charity moving forward and has also donated hoodies for the medics to wear on the day. Shane will also be meeting up with the medics on Saturday, prior to the triathlon.

Mike Palmer, a Critical Care Practitioner onboard Wales Air Ambulance, said: “Shane Williams is not just a legend of rugby, but also of triathlon. It means so much to me and my colleagues to have the support and mentorship of someone who has pushed his body to the limits numerous times on one of the toughest Ironman courses in the world.

“To have been gifted the suits, and to wear the same as Shane on Sunday is remarkable. Balancing 12-hour shifts, a master’s degree and the intense training hasn’t been easy. There’s been many times that I’d be going for a long run before starting my shift at 7am, but we’re so near now and I’m so excited (and nervous) to step foot on that start line.

“We’re all so passionate about the Wales Air Ambulance, and me, Caz, Ruby and Simon continue to see first-hand the impact this charity has on people’s lives. So, on Sunday, when we feel like we can’t go any further, we’ll think of our patients and our supporters – and that’ll give us the push to carry on.

“Thank you to Shane, AGILIS and to all those who have donated to our challenge so far. If you can, please donate via our JustGiving page, and cheer for us on Sunday.”

Wales Air Ambulance is consultant-led, taking hospital-standard treatments to the patient and if required, transferring them directly to the most appropriate hospital for their illness or injury.

It is delivered via a unique Third Sector and Public Sector partnership. The Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS) supplies highly skilled NHS consultants and critical care practitioners who work on board the charity’s vehicles.

As a pan-Wales service, the dedicated crews, regardless of where they are based, will travel the length and breadth of the country to deliver emergency lifesaving care.

The 2008 World Rugby Player of the Year has further shown his commitment to the all-Wales Charity by signing up to another event alongside his AGILIS colleagues. The trio will be raising awareness of the lifesaving charity next month in the second largest half marathon event in the UK, the Cardiff Half Marathon.

Laura Slate, Communications and Engagement Manager for Wales Air Ambulance said: “Every day, our crews deliver advanced medical care to people across Wales, and alongside the 12-hour shifts, Caz, Mike, Simon and Ruby have been training for this massive challenge and raising money for our charity.

“We are absolutely delighted to be working with AGILIS and Shane and are incredibly grateful for the donation of tri-suits for the critical care practitioners. The company and the Welsh rugby great have already shown their dedication to our cause, and I offer my heartfelt thanks to all those who have been involved in creating this partnership. We are a proud Welsh charity, and Shane is a proud Welshman – it’s a perfect match, and we’re excited to see how the partnership will grow.”

The Wales Air Ambulance needs to raise £11.2 million every year to keep its helicopters in the air and its rapid response vehicles on the road.

Laura continued: “There are many ways in which individuals and organisations can support us. AGILIS is great example of how businesses can contribute to our lifesaving service by supplying goods and services at a reduced rate, alongside traditional fundraising activities. It all helps us to ensure that as much money as possible goes directly to our frontline service for the benefit of the people of Wales.

“Good luck to everyone taking part on Sunday, and a special thank you to Shane and our heroes of the sky.”

Show your support to the Wales Air Ambulance Ironman team by donating to their JustGiving page www.justgiving.com/page/caroline-arter-1710187476943.

Charity

St John’s mark Falls Awareness Week by announcing new rapid response service

Published

2 days ago

September 16, 2024

Tom Sinclair

SAINT John Ambulance Cymru has secured a contract to provide a new Welfare and Falls Rapid Response service in the Pembrokeshire area, which will see staff responding to incidents to assess and assist people, reducing demand on Emergency Medical Services.

The Haverfordwest-based scheme will be run in partnership with Hywel Dda University Health Board (HDUHB) and will initially run from October 1^st 2024 until March 31^st 2025.

The scheme will follow on from the Falls Response scheme which has been operated by St John Ambulance Cymru in partnership with HDUHB and Wales Ambulance Services University NHS Trust (WASUT) in the same area since January 2023.

The announcement comes as St John Ambulance Cymru marks Falls Awareness Week from 16-20 September alongside fellow members of the National Falls Prevention Taskforce Wales.

The Falls Taskforce is an alliance focused on falls prevention for older people in across the country and includes Age Cymru, Age Connects Wales, Care & Repair Cymru, St John Ambulance Cymru, representatives from all seven health boards, as well as national and local government, public, private and other third sector organisations.

St John Ambulance Cymru’s Head of Ambulance Operations, Helen Coulthard said: “This new contract is a testament to the great service our staff have provided to people in this area of West Wales as part of the current scheme. To date the scheme has attended to over 1,000 people and saved an ambulance from attending on more than 500 occasions.

“St John Ambulance Cymru continues to build on its record of providing high quality help to patients all over the country and we look forward to continuing that work with this new scheme.”

St John Ambulance Cymru operates Falls Response schemes in communities across Wales, working in partnership with WASUT, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board and the Vale of Glamorgan Council. In 2023 these schemes, together with the current Pembrokeshire scheme, helped a total of 12,815 patients.

Falls Response is just one of the services provided by the charity’s Ambulance Operations team, with more than 24,000 patients helped in 2023, including patient transport and other schemes such as the Taith Dda Mental Health Response Service.

For more information on the healthcare services provided by St John Ambulance Cymru, visit www.sjacymru.org.uk/en/page/healthcare-services.