Mum grateful to air ambulance

A woman who fell 20ft at work has pledged to support the Great North Air Ambulance Service for life, after the charity came to her aid.
Trudy Richardson with her husband Ian and children Kayla and Stuart Whitehead.Trudy Richardson with her husband Ian and children Kayla and Stuart Whitehead.
Trudy Richardson with her husband Ian and children Kayla and Stuart Whitehead.

Trudy Richardson, from Berwick, fell while working at the Kiln Hill pre-school in Tweedmouth on September 15.

The 45-year-old’s colleagues rang the emergency services and Trudy was treated at the scene by the air ambulance paramedic and doctor team, as well as the North East Ambulance Service.

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She was then airlifted by the charity to the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in Newcastle, where she arrived in a serious but stable condition.

Trudy suffered injuries including a fractured vertebra, dislocated hip, broken shoulder blade, and a brain injury.

She said: “I’ve got amnesia so I don’t recall the accident or the journey to hospital. When I was in the RVI, I kept thinking I was dreaming and that I was going to wake up soon.

“It wasn’t until a week later when my mum visited that I realised what had happened was real and I was in a hospital bed.”

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Trudy left the hospital after two weeks to continue to recover at home, but might not be able to return to work until September.

She said: “I was so lucky that the Great North Air Ambulance Service treated me. These guys practically saved my life and I can’t express how grateful I am for the care they gave me on that day. They took me to hospital so quickly which I’m sure helped speed up the recovery.

“My injuries are slowly healing but I can feel the pain if I do too much. My husband Ian has been amazing and bent over backwards for me while I’ve been at home, so I can’t praise him enough.

“I’m now also a life-long supporter of the air ambulance service and, in time, when I’m better, I might take part in the Great North Run to raise money for them because these guys are amazing.”

Last year, GNAAS responded to more than 800 call-outs. It cost £5.1million to keep the service operational. Visit www.gnaas.com