Weymouth teenager calls for support for paramedics who saved her life
Maisie Sheridan, 16, is calling for more support during national Air Ambulance Week.
A Weymouth teenager is urging people to give their support to the air ambulance crews who saved her life for Air Ambulance Week.
Maisie Sheridan was hit by a camper van on her way to a dance class four years ago.
"I had a few injuries to my head and a couple of lesions in my brain and soft tissue damage down the left side of my body.
"The Air Ambulance saved my life. They managed to get there quickly enough to help me and take me to Southampton Hospital.
"Without them, I'm not sure I would have made it.
"We managed to get there in about 20 minutes."
She wants more people to support the charity financially this week for Air Ambulance week. She works hard herself to raise money for them.
"By fundraising, it's my way of giving back, because I'm so grateful for them and for what they've done for me that I don't think there will ever be enough fundraising that I can do to give back to them."
The national awareness week, organised by Air Ambulances UK, will see Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance join other air ambulance charities around the country in a campaign called ‘Every Second Counts and Every Penny Matters’.
The campaign highlights how air ambulance charities rapidly deliver advanced life-saving pre-hospital care directly to the side of patients when suffering a life-threatening injury or illness. Essentially the charities bring the emergency department to the patient when every second counts towards their survival.
Last year, Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance were tasked to 2,016 incidents. Their critical care team also provided 38 time-critical inter-hospital transfers and administered blood products to 35 patients, drastically improving their chances of getting to hospital alive.
With no direct Government or National Lottery funding, they rely on the generosity of the public to help raise their operational costs of over £5 million a year, with every mission costing approximately £3,000.
Prior to the start of Air Ambulance Week, on Sunday 5th September, Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance will hold their Coast to Coast Cycle Challenge 2021. Supporters will once again take to their bikes and cycle either the 55-mile route from Watchet to West Bay, or a shorter 11-mile route from Drimpton.
Unfortunately, last year’s event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so the charity is delighted that this year’s event is going ahead.
Emma Jones, Fundraising Manager for Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance, said:
“We would love you to help us raise the vital funds needed for Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance to continue saving lives.
"There are so many fun and fabulous ways to fundraise, from sponsored dance marathons to cake bakes, abseils and skydiving. Create your own bespoke fundraiser- we will support you!
"There are lots of ideas on our website, including how you can donate on a regular basis. Alternatively, give our fundraising team a call on: 01823 669604 and we will be delighted to help. On behalf of the patients who need us, thank you for your amazing support.”