Guilden Morden based Mum of three, Claire Appleby, understands only too well what it feels like to witness a loved one needing vital, lifesaving medical care – and fast!
On 15th May 2018, Magpas Air Ambulance Doctor Sam Todd and Paramedic Dan Read were called to a young girl who was experiencing such severe breathing difficulties, her mother couldn’t wake her up. Claire was that mother and the girl involved was her 9 year old daughter Edie. Claire dialled 999 immediately and the EEAST Ambulance Service Trust requested the enhanced skills and knowledge of the Magpas Air Ambulance medical team – who flew hospital level care straight to Edie, at her family home. Little did her brother Fred did know, when he saw the helicopter flying over his school that morning, that it was on the way to save his sister’s life.
Feeling extremely moved by the whole experience, Claire decided to get in touch with Magpas Air Ambulance to express her thanks and describe more about what happened.
“Words cannot express how grateful I am for the excellent care that Edie received from Sam and Dan from Magpas – as well as the other emergency services that came to her aid. I am totally in awe of your charity, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Edie is doing brilliantly, she was home the next day. I honestly think if it wasn’t for Dan and Sam coming and giving her specialist antibiotics, before we left for the hospital, it may have been a very different story.
Sam and Dan even came in the back of the ambulance with us to the hospital – their care was second to none! Edie has Rett syndrome which in itself brings so many challenges, such as epilepsy just to name one. We had no idea she was so poorly. Her struggling to breathe like that came out of nowhere” Claire explained.
The charity sent the Appleby family a Thinking of You card, which Claire then gave to little Edie. Claire explains, “Edie smiled as soon as I showed her the card with the picture of the helicopter on it. She is non-verbal so the eyes and smiles speak volumes, just look at the photo of her! Please pass my thanks to your guys and the pilot we didn’t get a chance to meet.”
Mum Claire says she’s eternally grateful to the charity for “effectively saving Edie’s life”…a little girl who Claire describes as “a ray of sunshine.”
