Air Ambulance NI needs your support this Christmas season

As we all start to prepare for the all-important 12 days of Christmas, Air Ambulance NI is highlighting the fact that the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) team will be on duty on Christmas day, and every day of the year, there for us all should the worst happen. 

During the month of December, the medics anticipate being called upon on over 60 occasions and each one of those requires public support.  The charity has come up with 12 ways to support, so that critical care can be provided at scene, when and where it is needed.

Previous patients include Claudy man George Haslett.

In June 2018, George was mixing slurry; whilst he was turning the pump he remembered he had four pet lambs with him and so went to get them out. He was overcome by slurry fumes and thankfully his helper Thomas raised the alarm.  The air ambulance HEMS team got a pulse back for George and he needed a medically induced coma at scene. 

George’s wife Ashley said: "If you’d hadn’t come that day, George wouldn’t have been anesthetised and the outcome would have been so different."

Kerry Anderson, Head of Fundraising said: “Each day our service is called upon for two individuals who are in critical need following a trauma injury or medical emergency.  It is there for every one of us and £6850 per day is required to keep operational.  When most of us will be off work and enjoying time with family and friends this Christmas, the air ambulance service will continue.  We have come up with 12 ways to support this Christmas, and hope you can play your part. 

The options include a simple one off donation or monthly donation for you or a loved one MEMBERSHIP – Air Ambulance NI. 

Alternatively, you could stock up on merchandise items as Christmas stocking fillers here. 

If you would rather host your own event with family or work colleagues, simple options include a Christmas Jumper Day, or coffee morning.  There’s a way for everyone to get involved, check out the festive fundraising ideas here here and give the gift of life this Christmas.”

Glenn O’Rorke, Operational Lead of HEMS said: “As we come into the winter season the profile of missions starts to reflect the time of year and people’s activity.  For example, we may be called out to less sporting accidents at this time of year but more road traffic collisions.  Whatever has caused the critical emergency situation, our commitment to the public is to be there, day in, day out to look after the people of Northern Ireland.  The doctors, paramedics and medical equipment is the provision and governance of the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS), but it’s never taken for granted by our team the support from the public that enables us to fly to the sickest people who need us, on average twice per day.”

The HEMS has been operational for seven years and during that time has been called out on over 4,500 occasions.  It is provided by way of a partnership between the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and the charity, Air Ambulance NI.  Each day the charity needs to raise almost £7,000 to sustain and develop the service. You can contact the charity directly on 028 9262 2677 or by email on info@airambulanceni.org