“It’s amazing how quickly circumstances change” – Vicky’s Story, 22^nd August 2019

When organisers of the annual Mellow in the Meadow festival in South Gloucestershire decided to donate proceeds to their local air ambulance, they had no idea that one of their close friends would be needing their services just weeks before their second event.

Vicky was less than five miles from GWAAC’s airbase when she came off a young horse she was training and hit her head, leaving her with a serious head injury and bleed on the brain. She was in need of emergency care, fast.

Our Critical Care Team were dispatched to the scene by car. Responding to Vicky was Critical Care Doctor, Tom, and Specialist Paramedic, Jack. Arriving on scene, the crew realised the extent of Vicky’s injuries and decided to perform a pre-hospital emergency anaesthesia, placing Vicky into an induced coma to protect her brain from any further damage. This allowed them to stabilise her condition before transporting her safely to Southmead Hospital Major Trauma Centre.

Vicky spent six days in intensive care in a coma, and a further five weeks in hospital before she was allowed home, undergoing regular physiotherapy and appointments with the Head Injury Therapy Unit.

A few months later, Vicky, who remembers nothing from her accident, was well enough to come and visit GWAAC’s airbase and meet Specialist Paramedic, Jack, who attended to her on the day. Vicky brought a special group of guests with her; the organisers behind Mellow in the Meadow, and some of her closest friends, who presented GWAAC’s crew with £5,000 raised from the 2019 event.

Vicky said: “It’s amazing how quickly circumstances changed from being a normal day to waking up in hospital weeks later. It was wonderful to meet Jack and hear about the care I received at the scene.

“I am very grateful for all of the amazing care I received. I got back on a horse again in November 2019 and continue to work with horses and ride daily. My recovery is ongoing, but I am able to enjoy my life with my friends and family.”

Vicky with the Mellow in the Meadow team and Specialist Paramedic, Jack

Mellow in the Meadow has raised £6,000 for the charity to date, and on top of this amount, Vicky’s friend Lorna took on a skydive earlier this year in aid of GWAAC, raising over £2,500, meaning the group have raised enough for four lifesaving missions in total. Sadly, this year’s festival was postponed due to COVID-19 but plans to go ahead in 2021 with proceeds still coming to GWAAC.

On the first anniversary of her accident in August, Vicky had a small gathering of friends and family who had supported her over the past year. GWAAC’s crew members, Jack and Tom, were delighted to attend and see how well Vicky was doing a year on.