Ellie’s Story

When a child is critically ill, time is everything. For families like Bethany and Chris, the Children’s Air Ambulance was the lifeline they desperately needed to get their newborn, Ellie, the care she required to survive.

Born six weeks and two days premature, weighing just 4lb 4oz, Ellie’s arrival was far from easy. Doctors soon diagnosed her with a rare condition called Oesophageal Atresia with Trachea Oesophageal Fistula (TOFOA), meaning her oesophagus and stomach were not connected. Ellie couldn’t swallow or eat and needed emergency surgery to survive. But the nearest hospital with availability and the capability to operate on such a premature baby, was 114 miles away.

With her condition critical, the Children’s Air Ambulance were called to action. Their bespoke incubator system and highly trained crew allowed Ellie to be flown in just 42 minutes to Evelina London Children’s Hospital, faster than any road transfer. As her family anxiously awaited updates, the pilots and medical team kept them reassured throughout the flight. Bethany says, “Even though we couldn’t travel with Ellie, we were reassured throughout.”

Three weeks later, following Ellie’s surgery, Bethany and Ellie were able to fly back home to Royal United Hospital Bath, to be closer to home and their support network.

“The Children’s Air Ambulance truly is a lifesaver. We’ll do whatever we can to promote the charity,” Bethany concludes.

Why Your Support Matters

Every Children’s Air Ambulance flight is funded by the kindness of generous donors like you. As Alfie Daly, Head of Operations, explains, “Our service is a flying intensive care unit. We provide lifesaving transfers for critically ill children, like Ellie, to the specialist care they need urgently. But we can’t do it without you.”

Although the Children’s Air Ambulance works closely with the NHS, they receive no government funding. They rely entirely on donations to keep flying and saving lives. Each mission costs on average £5,500, and every donation, no matter how small, helps ensure that another child in need can be transferred to the right care, when it matters most.

Imagine the terror of being told that your newborn can’t swallow or eat and needs immediate surgery—but the only hospital capable of performing the operation is miles away. Without the Children’s Air Ambulance, little Ellie may not have survived the long road journey, but she had the chance to get the care she needed in a matter of minutes, thanks to your support.

As well as being a flying intensive care unit, the Children’s Air Ambulance can also fly medical teams and bespoke equipment to hospitals across the UK, transforming the patients local hospital into a specialist unit. But, we can only do this because of people like you.