Leicestershire boy is the face of this year’s Christmas Appeal

Your local air ambulance has launched an appeal to help keep the vital service attending missions over the festive period to continue to provide critical care to those in their hour of need – like six-year-old Sebastian who suffered a life-threatening asthma attack.

Sebastian nearly died last Christmas when he passed out after a prolonged period of wheezing and breathing difficulties at home in Earl Shilton.

“His lips started to turn blue, and I called 999 for the first time in my life. It was very frightening. My husband Sam performed CPR on Seb until the land ambulance arrived,” says Seb’s mum Claire Duncombe.

Paramedics from East Midlands Ambulance Service took over treating him and Seb was eventually put into the back of an ambulance ready to be blue-lighted to hospital.

When the critical care crew from Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance arrived at the scene in the Critical Care Car, the crew gave Seb some critical drugs to help manage the effects that the asthma was having on him.

“The interventions by the ambulance and critical care crews were crucial to Seb’s outcome as it helped stabilise his condition. If the air ambulance crew hadn’t been there who knows what might have happened. He could have died,” says Claire.

The air ambulance crew accompanied Seb and Claire in the land ambulance to Leicester Royal Infirmary. On arrival, the doctor went into the Accident & Emergency Department with Seb and debriefed hospital staff about his condition.

Amazingly, within two hours of arriving at the hospital Seb sat up in bed, said he was hungry, and asked his mum for his favourite toys.

Claire, who works for your local air ambulance, says: “As it is the season of goodwill to all, I am hoping Seb’s story will encourage people to support this frontline charity which saves lives every day. Seb is living proof of the amazing work they do every day of the year – including Christmas Day.”

“He is a normal six-year-old- boy who is really happy. He loves toys, playing with his friends, and is very affectionate. We try not to think about what happened but we do know how lucky we are. Having been on the receiving end of what the local air ambulance does makes me even more proud to work for and support such a life-changing, lifesaving charity,” she adds.

So far this year, your local air ambulance has been called out to over 2,900 missions, with the dedicated crews continuing to work tirelessly across the Christmas period.

The Christmas appeal will land with supporters on 15 November and the charity hope the public can spread some sparkle this Christmas through donations. A gift of any amount will help towards keeping the lifesaving helicopters flying and Critical Care Cars on the road in 2022.