Fundraising

A Kent woman’s traumatic cow attack, in which she suffered life-changing injuries, will feature in the next episode of Helicopter ER – the reality TV series featuring the work of Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Stella Collins was on a five-day walking holiday in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales with her husband Geoff when she was charged and repeatedly trampled by a cow in an unprovoked attack.

“I was a little ahead of my husband who had stopped to take a photo,” said Stella. “We were about 35 metres away from this herd of cows when, without warning, this large ginger and white cow charged.

“It just came thundering towards me and I heard my husband say ‘Oh no’ and I thought I was going to die because of the anguish in his voice.

“I had no time to do anything other than turn my shoulder as the cow’s head hit me and I was thrown into the air. I was like a rag doll being tossed around and repeatedly trampled.

“We were so happy to be in such a beautiful place. It was like being in a part of heaven but then, in a blink of an eye, heaven turned into hell.”

Last year in the UK five people were killed in cow tramplings and dozens more were seriously injured. Stella suffered multiple injuries in the attack, including broken ribs, a blood clot and lesions to her lungs, leg and ankle injuries, whiplash, and major soft tissue damage.

Fourteen months later, she is still undergoing weekly rehabilitation and physiotherapy and is in constant pain.

The super-active 60-year-old regularly played tennis, badminton, table tennis, and stoolball. Since the attack Stella has tried to return to sports but, after aggravating her soft tissue injuries, has been advised against activity until after further diagnostic tests.

“It is really hard,” added Stella. “I still have all this pain doing just everyday activities and am just not the person I was. I have lost my confidence and still suffer flashbacks of the cow being over me, snorting as it trampled me again and again.

“But, I know how lucky I was and I am just so grateful for the actions of the emergency services and what they did for me, particularly the air ambulance. I can’t imagine what the journey to the hospital would have been like if I had to go by road from such a remote spot.”

Stell was airlifted to the hospital where she spent five days. Her story features in Tuesday’s episode of Helicopter ER, the award-winning  Really channel programme which follows the life-saving work of Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Serving a population of approximately five million people across Yorkshire, the Charity operates two air ambulances from airbases at The Nostell Priory Estate near Wakefield and RAF Topcliffe near Thirsk plus two Rapid Response Vehicles (RRVs).

The rapid response air emergency service needs to raise £19,000 every day to keep its two helicopters flying.

Find more YAA News HERE.

The life-saving heroics of a trio of Sheffield golfers will be featured in the next episode of Helicopter ER- the reality TV series featuring the work of Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

John Anderson, 65, had just started a round with three others at Hillsborough Golf Club when he collapsed on the first fairway after suffering a massive heart attack.

The father-of-two stopped breathing for nearly 10 minutes but survived because of the quick-thinking actions of his fellow golfers. Kevin Gross started immediate CPR while Rob Biggins ran back to the clubhouse to get more help.

First aid-trained Club steward Carl Pagden and another golfer Matt Shaw raced to the fairway and joined Kevin in giving CPR until paramedics arrived with a defibrillator and manage to restart John’s heart before the air ambulance arrived.

Retired farrier Johns said: “It was my first time at the club and I remember Rob saying the first hole was on a bit of a hill but after that, it wasn’t too bad. I took my first shot and the next thing I remember is waking up in hospital.”

“But I’ve been told I was dead for over nine minutes. Without Kevin, Matt and Carl I would not be here – they literally saved my life and I can’t thank them enough for what they did that day.”

Less than one in ten people survive cardiac arrests that happen outside hospital, and for every minute that a person in cardiac arrest doesn’t receive CPR and defibrillation, their chance of survival drops by up to 10% – so acting in an emergency is crucial.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance aircrew medic Dr. Brian White who attended John said: “It is the early starting of CPR that is the most important thing, and that started as soon as John collapsed – that’s the bit that saved his life.”

The dramatic incident happened in May last year. Grandfather of four John, from Hillsborough, was stabilised at the scene and airlifted to Northern General Hospital where he had emergency surgery to fit a mini-defibrillator and pacemaker.

His grateful son Callum started a GoFundMe campaign with has raised enough money to buy a defibrillator for Hillsborough Golf Club, who have since installed a second machine on the course. A donation has also been made to Yorkshire Air Ambulance, which needs £19,000 every day to keep its two helicopters flying.

John added: “When I was in hospital, the footballer Christian Eriksen suffered his heart attack on the pitch during the European Championships and I thought how terrifying it must have been for everyone around me. Thankfully, he survived as well because he received immediate CPR.”

“I am just so grateful that I got that second chance. Every day I wake up is a bonus.”

John’s story features in Tuesday’s episode of Helicopter ER, the award-winning Discovery programme which follows the life-saving work of Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Episode 9, which airs on Really, also features a woman who had to learn to walk again after suffering multiple injuries in a car crash, a farmer who was crushed by one of her cows, and a pensioner who drove into a house after an automatic gearbox mix-up.

Serving a population of approximately five million people across the whole of Yorkshire, the Charity operates two air ambulance helicopters from airbases at The Nostell Priory near Wakefield and RAF Topcliffe near Thirsk, plus two Rapid Response Vehicles (RRVs).

The rapid response air emergency service relies on public donations and fundraising to continue saving lives.

Find further YAA News HERE.

A North Yorkshire woman’s near-fatal car accident will feature in the next episode of Helicopter ER – the reality TV series featuring  the work of Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Viv Crosier was travelling home from work when a van pulled out from a junction in front of her near Slingsby.

Unable to stop, she crashed into the side of the van at 40mph suffering multiple injuries. The 60-year-old was trapped in her crumpled car for over an hour as emergency services worked to stabilise her before cutting her free from the wreckage.

Extremely grateful for the support from the emergency services team and the public Viv from Malton said: “Everybody was absolutely incredible, so kind and reassuring.”

“It was a hot day in mid-July, and it was overwhelming and scary. One lady got straight in the car to help me, and she didn’t know what state the car was in, but she didn’t think twice.”

“The way the emergency services worked together was brilliant. I’m so thankful.”

Being an hour’s drive from a major trauma centre, Yorkshire Air Ambulance flew Viv within 15 minutes to Leeds General Infirmary.

Scans revealed the Weighbridge Operator had broken her back, her right ankle, and foot. She was in the hospital for 7 days and underwent surgery 11 months later for her ankle.

She had to learn to walk again after her injuries, with family and friends supporting her on her long rehabilitation journey. Viv has returned to work as a Weighbridge Operator at Ian Mosey Feeds after 15 months and is finally returning to normality.

Viv’s story features in Tuesday’s episode of Helicopter ER, the award-winning Discovery programme which follows the life-saving work of Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Episode 9, which airs on Really, also features a man who went into cardiac arrest whilst playing golf, a farmer who was crushed by one of her cows, and a pensioner who drove into a house after an automatic gearbox mix-up.

Serving a population of approximately five million people across the whole of Yorkshire, the Charity operates two air ambulance helicopters from airbases at The Nostell Priory near Wakefield and RAF Topcliffe near Thirsk, plus two Rapid Response Vehicles (RRVs).

The rapid response air emergency service relies on public donations and fundraising to continue saving lives.

Find further YAA News HERE.