Scots dad "eternally grateful" to air ambulance as he prepares for 250 mile fundraiser
Tom Hanratty's daughter was was critically injured in a head on collision in 2017
A dad will soon embark on a huge challenge to fundraise for the charity which helped save his daughter's life.
Tom Hanratty, from Perth, was attending a music festival when he found out 11-year-old Keira was critically injured in a head on collision.
Keira was airlifted to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness where her parents were told she had sustained life threatening injuries, before being transferred again to the Royal Hospital for Children in Edinburgh.
Operations manager Tom says if it weren't for Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA), his daughter would've died.
Along with his brother, the Musselburgh born man will try to complete a 250 mile trek across Scotland with the aim of raising £35,000 for the vital cause.
Dad "in tears" after hearing about daughter's injuries
In June 2017 while on a day trip with her friend's family, Keira was involved in a head on car crash which left her with two broken arms, a fractured spine and other internal injuries.
She also split her forehead open leaving her with a severe laceration.
Keira was airlifted from where the collision took place near Roybridge to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.
At the time, Tom and his wife Leigh were attending a music festival in Nottingham when they received the horrific phone call informing them of what had happened.
"It was a disaster," Tom explained.
"They just phoned us and said 'we've got your little girl here in Raigmore (hospital), we couldn't comprehend why she was in Inverness and not Perth where we left her with my dad.
"But she had been on a trip with her friend's family and these things just happen.
"When they described her injuries, I remember just being in tears.
"I think the thing I struggled with the most was the lack of control.
"A switch changes in you when you have bairns.
"You go from being fearless to being scared of everything and you would do anything for them.
"When you're away and something like this happens, you've got the guilt of 'why weren't you there.'"
Tom and Leigh then rushed back to Scotland by plane and taxi to be by their daughter's bedside travelled.
His brother Mike, who Tom is completing the challenge with, rushed to Inverness from Dornoch after hearing what happened to his niece.
By the time Tom and Leigh arrived, Keira had already received surgery and were told she was having problems with her heart.
This resulted in another trip in the air ambulance to the Royal Hospital for Children in Edinburgh.
Keira spent a total of 17 days in hospital care following the crash.
SCAA "mean the world to me" - Tom
Tom and Leigh are in no doubt the quick thinking of SCAA to get their daughter within one hour saved her life.
In order to show their gratitude, Tom and his brother Mike are taking on a 250 mile expedition from Musselburgh to Dornoch.
The 14-day challenge will encompass the Union and Forth Valley Canals, West Highland Way, Great Glen Canoe Trail and some of the John O’Groats Trail.
They're aiming to raise £35,000, which would help fund two weeks worth of SCAA rescue flights.
Tom hopes this will help him thank SCAA for saving Keira as he explained what he believes would've happened to her without the service.
He added: "I think she would have died."
"That mission they've got to get people to hospital within an hour is vital.
"I'm not a medical expert, so I wouldn't be able to say for sure, but obviously they were able to get her in, scan her, give her painkillers and all the rest of it.
"That's something you hope no one ever has to go through, but you are eternally grateful things like the air ambulance to exist when these things happen.
"As far as I'm concerned they gave me my daughter, and I struggle to put it into anymore words than that.
"They mean the world to me.
"What they did and what they can do for families is mind-boggling, it's so important,
"I want to be able to help that."
Tom and Mike begin their challenge on May 8th, you can follow their progress through the High Road to Dornoch Facebook page.
You can also contribute towards their fundraiser here.