Did you know that the Devon AirAmbulance Lottery now has over 19,000members and that the income generatedby those members is on target to reachnearly £1 million this year!

Tracy Owen, Lottery Team Leader, is proudof the achievements reached this year, “Weare delighted with these figures and a hugethank you must go to everyone who playseach week. Our numbers are increasingdaily, with special thanks to the hard workof all who promote and play the Lotteryacross the county. We are also proud thatover 70 pence in the pound goes directlyback in to the Charity which enables us tooffer the people of Devon the fantasticbenefits of our two Air Ambulances.”

IN THIS ISSUE . . .A Mother’s Intuition, Operations,

Commando Challenge plus much more!

Lottery Success for 2010Our Lottery started in September 2001,when the first draw took place with just4,000 players. It has gone from strength tostrength and seen an increase in membersand income year on year.

The most cost effective way to play ourweekly draw is by Standing Order. This easymethod of payment, set up with your bank,allows you to pay monthly, quarterly, half­yearly or annually – simple! You will be helping to keep your Air Ambulancesflying AND in with a chance to win £1,350every week.

If you would like to join our Lottery,simply complete and return the form at

the back of this HeliPad magazine

Lottery Team: Tracy OwenJane Raddon and Louise Newbery

real people saving real liveswww.daat.org | 01392 466666

Charity No. 1077998

Devon Air Ambulance TrustDecember 2010

Welcome from Heléna As we approach the end of 2010 we canlook back and review the year. It’s been abusy time at the Trust, which started withthe proud opening of our Steve FordAirbase at Eaglescott, near Umberleigh. Next came the great news that we hadbeen selected as BBC Radio Devon’scharity of the year, a relationship that hasalready generated funds of over £100,000

for the BBC Radio Devon Air AmbulanceAppeal.

I am pleased to report that our DAATshops are still doing very well with manypeople benefitting from a wide range ofgoods and clothing at affordable prices.Our funds received a considerable boostthis year from increased Gift Aid,reclaimed on donated goods as more andmore customers are registering as Gift Aiddonors.

Our Community Fundraising Team havebeen busier than ever this year supportinga broad range of events right across theregion as well our our own led events.My best wishes go to you all and a bigthank you to everyone who has helped inany way throughout the year. Devon’s AirAmbulances would not fly without you!

Sledging and a SurpriseKatie had been enjoying a wonderfulafternoon sledging with friends and familywhen she and her friend, Becky, hit a rut onthe hill and both flew through the air. Katiefell awkwardly and knew immediately thatshe had badly hurt her back. Her friendsalso realised the urgent need for medicalhelp and all were relieved to see the AirAmbulance arrive. While Becky waswhisked away in a land ambulance, Katiewas airlifted to Derriford Hospital with abroken back. To their surprise, both girlsended up in neighbouring beds in the sameward! Fortunately for Katie, following theadvice of all the experts, she has sincemade a full recovery.

Welcome to Helipad

Devon Air Ambulance Trust2

After her accident, Katiewas inspired to supportthe Devon Air Ambulance‘to give a bit back’ anddecided to host a party forher mum, Helen’s, 50thbirthday. Between thefamily and the 220 guestswho attended, they kept the event acomplete surprise – and raised a whopping£735.00 into the bargain!

If you would like support foryour event why not ring us on01392 466666

Patient Stories

A Dartmoor TaleBill, a (retired) Master Skydiver, was ridinghis motorbike across Dartmoor on abeautiful summer’s day when the car hewas overtaking suddenly turned right, t­boning Bill and his bike! Whilst Bill doesn’tremember much about the accident, heremembers the Air Ambulance arrivingand the next thing he knew he was wakingup in hospital some 10 hours later.

As for injuries, fortunately Bill suffered nomore than a broken finger and a brokenwrist. He said, “Obviously, the bang on myhead (as evidenced by the severe damageto my helmet) left me dizzy and wobblyfor a few days but again, fortuitously,there are no lasting effects. I am now verymuch on the mend but I will always begrateful for your help and assistance. Asthere is a DAAT shop within view of whereI work in Exmouth, I fully intend to betheir most regular contributor andcustomer. Once again, all the thanks andgratitude I can give.”

If you’ve been airlifted why not ring us on01392 466666 or emal info@daat.org

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Not just one but two for KateKate from Chawleigh has becomesomething of a celebrity in her villagefollowing not just one, but two recenttrips in the Air Ambulance. At the endof September Kate suffered a majorheart attack and was rushed to RD&E.She was recovering well when, on 2ndNovember she suffered another attack,necessitating a further trip back to theRD&E. To Kate’s surprise, Nigel Hare,Clinical Support Officer, was theParamedic on board on both occasions!

Reassurance for Sue & Ron“I cannot tell you how grateful we are forthe service provided by Devon AirAmbulance. Suffering from a suspectedperforated bowel and in need of urgentmedical help my husband was airlifted toRD&E and I truly believe he would not behere today if your service had not beenavailable. The paramedics were soreassuring and calm; whilst Ron cannotremember anything about the day anddidn’t even know he’d been in ahelicopter, I was just so glad to see themand to know that he was at last in safehands. Thank you so much to everyone.”

Sue, wife of Ron

Well Done, Boys!While many youngsters were relaxing afterthe pressure of GCSEs, Callum Stone, LewisHoney and Max Neusinger are three 16 year olds from Tiverton who cycledfrom John O’Groats to Lands End in July2010 – and raised over £10,000 in theprocess,to be split between DAAT and ELF.

They revised andtook their examswhile training andbegan the 10 day,900+ mile, ride on12th July.

Their ride wassupported by alltheir families.

Dads, Adrian Stone and Paul Honey,followed on motorbikes and the mums,Ann Stone, Nicky Honey and NonieNeusinger, took turns in driving the van ­providing meals and snacks when needed.The boys cycled an average of 90­100 milesper day and say they loved every minute!

A fantastic achievement – Well Done!

Devon Air Ambulance Trust4

Gig in the GardenWith an eclectic mix of music, barbecue,bar, sumo wrestling, bouncy castle andeven a bath of spaghetti, guests enjoyeda great time at Woodleigh Coach HouseCafe in Cheriton Bishop for the 4thannual summer concert. Our thanks toMichelle Vardy, event organiser, onraising a fantastic £1,031.50. Michellesaid, “We’ve had a really great day butthis event just couldn’t happen withoutthe support of a number of people.

My thanks go to, among others, Mike Ellisfor arranging the bands, the HighwaysAgency, J&R Foods, Calor Gas fordonating the barbecue and, of course,everyone who came along on the day!”

A big thanks to John Howkins and hiswife who have found a ‘novel’ way toraise funds for DAAT. Having inheriteda shack on his driveway selling 2ndhand books, John saw the potentialwhen £18 was taken in just the firsttwo weeks. John now plans to do upthe shed and promote the facility inhis village at Chawleigh.

Fundraising

It’s not just outsiderswho raise funds for DAAT – our staff do too.Melanie Stevens andTracy Owen are facingtheir fears and doing aSkydive next March –please check out theirJustGiving sites todonate to the Trust.

Lewis, Callum and Max

Devon Air Ambulance Trust 5

Cheque Out

Ruby Run PresentationFundraising Director Caroline Creer metorganisers of the annual Ruby Run HalfMarathon to collect a cheque for £2,000.Thank you to all the organisers and allthe runners.

Our Volunteer Helen Phillips collects £3,000 from Banger Racing at Bratton Fleming

Sports Auction Raises £8,500A Country Sports Auction, organised byvolunteers Paul and Jane Beazley, washeld in October in Molland. Manydiverse items were available, includinga pen donated by the Prime Ministerand a jar of pickled onions! Hugethanks to all who attended and/ordonated goods.

Well Fed Fish in Crediton!Lottery Team LeaderTracy Owen wasdelighted to collect acheque from PeterMuggeridge of BowAquatic Centre nearCrediton.

Peter kindly donated20p from the sale ofeach bag of fish foodand raised a fantastic£1,700!

Banger Racing Bonanza

BananaramaA big thank you to all Co­op Food Storesin Devon who, through a variety offundraising activities, raised a wonderful£20,000 for the Trust. Special thanks toNicola Kelly for all her co­ordination.

Operations

Helicopter Hot Desk How The Helicopters Are Deployedby Nikki Bolt, HEMS Desk Supervisor

“Someone help me…quick!” All too oftenthese are the first words heard by the calltaker in the Ambulance Control Roomwhere 999 calls are received. The caller’saddress is quickly established so that anambulance can be dispatched towardsthem, and the calltaker can then takefurther details and provide reassuringadvice to help until the paramedics arrive.

Within the control room is also the base ofthe Helicopter Emergency Medical Service(HEMS) desk, the team of dispatchers thatmonitor all the emergency calls received toidentify those to which an Air Ambulanceneeds to be sent. With around 600­700calls received daily during their shift, this isno easy task! The HEMS team need toidentify those incidents, and patients, forwhich urgent treatment and transportcould potentially make a significantdifference, based only on the informationwe are able to gain from the member ofthe public over the phone. Once the HEMS

Devon Air Ambulance Trust6

team have identified an incident thatrequires the skills of the Air Ambulance,they immediately alert the aircrew andgive them all the details that they need tohead towards the incident location.

On route the crew will remain in regularcontact with the HEMS team for anyfurther updates. When they arrive onscene they begin to treat the patient, againmaintaining regular contact with the HEMSteam to ensure everyone is aware of thesituation they are dealing with. The patientis then loaded into the aircraft and flownquickly to the appropriate hospital fortreatment, with the HEMS team oftenassisting in liaison with the hospital toensure they are ready to receive theserious, and often critical, patient.

Of course, whilst the Air Ambulance crewis busy dealing with this incident, theHEMS team are continually monitoring thecalls that are still pouring into the controlroom, ready to identify any furtherpatients that may require their skills whenthey are available, just as they thoughtthey were going home for a cuppa!

Airbase Visits for Ex­PatientsIf you have been airlifted this year andwould like to visit the Airbase and,possibly, meet some of the crew, pleasecontact Debbie Gregory at DAAT on01392 466666 or emaild.gregory@daat.org

Devon Air Ambulance Trust 7

Helicopter News

A Guide to theHelicopter Patient Area

Clockwise from top left:1. Cardiac Monitor 2. Vital Signs Monitor

3. Ventilator 4. Aspirator5. Portable Oxygen 6. First Response Bag

Update on North DevonThis time last year our Eaglescottaircrews were working in difficultconditions from a cold, dampportacabin. But not any more, as PaulShaddick reports.

“The North Devon based crews havebeen working from the Steve FordAirbase for nearly a year now which hasenabled us to provide an even betterstandard of service to the people ofDevon. The bespoke designed facilitieshave allowed us to complete our dailyactivities in a more timely mannerallowing us to respond to incidents moreefficiently. Furthermore, the functionroom has allowed the charity to hostmany base visits, including the recentvolunteer evening, in a safe, warm andinviting environment. This room has alsobeen utilised by the aircrew team tofacilitate ongoing training with the aimof providing an even better service tothose we attend. The days of rolling in towork in the cold and damp arethankfully over and only because of theextraordinary efforts of our magnificentfundraisers– thank you.”

Ray’s RescueRay Westcott was airlifted in June 2009after he fell from the roof he wasthatching, breaking his pelvis andshoulder. However, Ray and wife, Angela,happily celebrated their 25th weddinganniversary in October 2010 andreceived over £900 in lieu of gifts, whichthey donated to the Trust. The chequewas presented at the Airbase where thefamily were delighted to meet withmembers of the aircrew at Ray’s rescue.

On Duty CrewDamian Irvine, Dave Huyton,

Paul Shaddick

Sarah is 14 years old andlives with her familyin Camelford,Cornwall. Onreturning fromschool oneSeptember day, Sarah complained of flu­like symptoms and told her mum, Gaynor,that she had felt rough all day. In the earlyhours of the next morning Sarah was stillvery feverish. Worrying her daughtermight faint, Gaynor took her to thebathroom and saw Sarah was wearing atampon. Concerned immediately thatSarah displayed symptoms of Toxic ShockSyndrome (TSS), Gaynor requested thatthe tampon was removed immediately andhelped her daughter back to bed.

Early the next day, Gaynor took Sarah tothe Doctor’s where she underwent anumber of tests. It soon became clear thatSarah was fighting a serious infection. Shealso had a sunburn­like rash all over herbody. The indications suggested a possiblecase of meningitis and the Air Ambulancewas called as a matter of urgency. Thecrew from North Devon were despatchedto take Sarah to the Royal CornwallHospital in Truro. The paramedics, PaulShaddick and Mark Hawley, monitoredSarah continuously throughout the flight;administering antibiotics and checking hervital signs, on a journey that took only 15 minutes; and would have taken morethan an hour by road.

Devon Air Ambulance Trust8

At hospital, tests revealed Sarah hadSepticaemia, caused by TSS, almost certainlythe result of a tampon having been left infor 24 hours or more. Sarah’s life hung in thebalance as she was given iv drips withantibiotics to prevent her internal organsfrom failing and she remained in the HighDependency Unit for five days. Doctorsadvised that if it hadn’t been for Gaynor’sconcern, the outcome could have been verydifferent.

Gaynor explained, “I am a very vigilantmum. Sarah was introduced to tampons sixmonths ago and we had discussed thedangers of TSS. On this occasion, however,Sarah hadn’t changed her protection,explaining after that she hadn’t because ‘I was just too tired and felt too ill to bother.’I dread to think what might have happenedif Sarah hadn’t been taken by AirAmbulance. I cannot thank everyoneenough – Dr Gibbons, the Devon AirAmbulance Crew the hospital staff at Truro.TSS is so rare most doctors in the UK willnever see a case. I am so glad I trusted myinstincts as a mum, and we are all just sograteful to everyone that Sarah is now well.”

A Mother’s Intuition

Paramedic Paul Shaddick with Sarah and herfamily on a visit to the Eaglescott Airbase

8

More Fundraising Stories

Fun at the Commando Challenge This year’s event saw over 4,500participants enjoying the wind, rain andmud at the Royal Marine’s challengingcourse at Woodbury Common nearExeter. Thanks to entry fees andsponsorship a whopping £263,000 hasalready been raised.

Brand New Car for Lucky WinnerCommuting to work will now be a wholelot easier for Sue Timmins, winner of thisyear’s Grand Summer Prize Draw. Sue,who runs Central Perks Coffee House inUnion Street, Torquay, was overjoyed tohear that she had won. Heléna Holt, CEO,said “The charity is proud to have workedonce again in partnership with PeterVosper and all at Vospers with regard tothis fantastic prize. Over £70,000 wasgenerated by the sale of tickets andrelated donations, and this would nothave been possible without Vosper’ssupport, for which we are truly grateful.”

Helena added, “We would also like to addour thanks to Bovey Castle for theirgenerous prize of a luxury break for sixpeople. Both of our corporate supporters,and indeed everyone who has bought aticket, should be extremely proud to havehelped to raise such a fantastic sum!’ Thirdprize of £100 went to Claire Leahy ofWinkleigh, who said, “The Air Ambulanceis an essential part of the communitywhich hopefully none of us will need, butit is reassuring to know that if we do, it’sthere for us all.’

Devon Air Ambulance Trust 9

Schoolboy Pip Raises FundsFollowing the airlift ofa friend’s Dad, Pip,age 12, was inspiredto raise funds forDAAT. His first venturewas to wash cars inhis neighbourhoodand his second was to hold a table topsale. Thanks and congratulations to Pipfor a fabulous £655 raised.

Pictured are Gary, Ross, Todd andfriends from the Mud Busters!

Special thanks to Alan Hardy and histeam, and to all the volunteers whohelped the weekend go so well.

Surf and Rescue“The Air Ambulance came to my rescuewhen I broke my leg on PutsboughSands on the 21st August 2010. Just 20 minutes into my first­ever surf lessonand just getting the hang of it (or so Ithought!) I jumped off the surf board inthe shallows, to feel lots of discomfort inmy left leg.

Having experienced a similar pain fouryears ago in a horse riding accident I justknew I had broken it again.

Massive thanks to Alec, from South WestOutdoors, for his speedy response incoming to my rescue; also to the

Coastguard, the landAmbulance and, ofcourse, the AirAmbulance crew, whowere totally amazingand delivered mesafely and swiftly toBarnstaple hospital.After surgery to re­align my Tibia and Fibula and 10 weeksin a cast I am finally back on my feet.

A huge thank you to everyone whohelped me on a very wet August morningon the beach!”

Claire (Oxfordshire)

More Patient Stories

Devon Air Ambulance Trust10

Isabel Flown to SwanseaIsabel is a typicaltoddler and, at just 15months old, she wasenjoying an earlymorning rough andtumble with parents,Karen and Jason, when

a cup of scalding coffee was accidentlytipped and landed on little Isabel,scalding 80% of her chest and torso. DadJason stood in a cold shower with hisdaughter until the Air Ambulance arrivedto take Isabel and mum Karen direct tothe specialist burns unit in SwanseaHospital. Fortunately, after two days inSwansea Hospital and further treatmentat Frenchay in Bristol, Isabel is nowmaking a good recovery.

Motorcycle Versus VanSam spent over 10 weeks in two ofDevon’s hospitals after being airliftedfollowing a serious road traffic accidentback in July. Despite his left leg beingamputated below the knee, Sam ismaking goodprogress with a newprosthetic limb and islooking forward toreturning to work inthe New Year. “I amso lucky to be alive, I can’t thank theaircrew enough.From what I have learned, a witnessthought I had died at the scene andhere I am, walking around again,though it will be a long while before Iam back on a bike! I want to thankeveryone at DAAT.”

11

Merchandise and Gifts Available

As well as a rangeof clothingincluding coats, t­shirts, poloshirts, fleecesand hats, DAATalso has anextensive line ofgifts such aspens, mugs,wallets, keyrings,bears, bags andthe aprons(pictured left)modelled byAlistair andPenelope Gleave.

For full details of all our goods, pleasevisit www.daat.org or any of ourCharity Shops or ring us for a catalogue.

Devon Air Ambulance Trust

Retail TherapyChrissie Peel, DAAT’s Retail Manager, ispleased to report continued support forour shops and said, “We are currentlyseeing really high quality goods beingdonated which makes for a wonderfularray of stock in our outlets, and forwhich we are really grateful. If ourdonors are also tax payers, however,and register with us for Gift Aid, we canclaim a further 28% from HMRC, which,in turn, will enable us to help even morepatients! A big thank you to everyonewho donates or buys at our shops.”

Pictured at the end of the AgathaChristie Sea Swim, BBC staff: Sophie Pierce, Anna Dunscombe and Alison Johns

Did you know that if everyone inDevon donated a penny a day,just £3.65 a year, it would payour operating costs for one year?

Retail and BBC Radio Devon

Our successful partnership with BBCRadio Devon has generated nearly£100,000 to date, with participantsenjoying various activities, such as theAgatha Christie Sea Swim fromGoodrington to Broadsands; theAirMiles Walks, with routes across thewhole of the county to celebrateNational Ambulance Day; and Devon’sGreat Big Dinner Party. Thank you toall at BBC Radio Devon and thelisteners for your continued support.

Forthcoming Events

Devon Air Ambulance Trust12

If you are fundraising for the charity why not let us know? You never know, you may feature in the next issue!

18­19 FebruaryFolk ReliefA 24­hour Folk Music Marathon hosted byRichard Digance, featuring Seth Lakeman,Ralph McTell and many others. Folk Reliefwill involve lots of local and national musicacts and hopefully, you too!

If you’re a musician or you run a venue, youcan help too. Why not organise a concert, orgo busking for us?

Or, if you hold your own event, you couldtake your donations to the BBC studio we'llsay a big thank you to you live on air and addyour funds to the running total. Every pennyyou raise will help this fantastic charity.

EVENTS DIARY Jan ­ Mar 2011Most of our events are organised by oursupporters or volunteers and listed on ourwebsite. However, we are happy to helpwith advertising, posters and presscoverage. Please contact us on 01392466666 if you require further information.

24­29 January

Jack & The Beanstalk at theBarnfield Theatre, Exeter. Evenings at7.30pm and Saturday matinee at 2pm

Tickets from £5 ­ Tel: 01392 270891

John Groves and members of the Rose &Crown, Sandford, Motorbike Show & Meetpresent the cheque from this year’s event.

20 January Test The CountyJUDI NEEDS YOU!Test the County (TTC)is a giant, on­air quiz,with the questionsasked live on the radioby BBC presenter Judi Spiers. It will runfrom 7 until 10 in the evening with teamsplaying either individually or in groups.Our aim is to have TTC nights held in pubs,clubs, village halls, businesses and homesright across the county. In each venuethere would be a winning team on thenight, and we will also be crowning a Testthe County champion from all the teamsplaying on the night.

To take part you'll need a pack for eachteam of up to four players. Each pack costs£5. Simply send a cheque payable to ‘BBCRadio Devon Air Ambulance Appeal’ alongwith your team name(s) and address toTest the County, BBC Radio Devon, PO Box1034, Exeter EX4 4DB and we will send youeverything you need.

For more info: testthecounty@bbc.co.uk

Please complete this form, plus Sec�on A or Sec�on B (overleaf) to advise us of how you wish to pay.Please return the completed form to: DAAT Lo�ery, FREEPOST SEA14647, Exeter, EX4 8ZY

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