Jason’s Story

Grand National Jockey Winner Jason Maguire pledged his support for The Air Ambulance Service’s Pain Relief Appeal five months after the charity helped save his life. The jockey, who rode Ballabriggs to victory at the 2011 Grand National, agreed to become patron of The Air Ambulance Service.

Jason sustained serious abdominal injuries after being unseated from his horse before being kicked by another horse at a race meeting in Stratford-Upon-Avon in March 2014. Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance (WNAA) was called out to provide Jason with advanced pre-hospital care and much need pain relief before airlifting him to University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire. X-rays at hospital revealed that Jason’s injuries were life-threatening. He had suffered a fractured sternum and bleeding on his liver, prompting doctors to put him in a medically-induced coma.

After months of recuperation, including an operation to remove part of his liver, Jason is back on his feet and well on the way to recovery. On 24th July 2014, he paid a visit to WNAA’s airbase at Coventry Airport to meet the critical care paramedics that helped him.

Jason said: “The speediness of the helicopter and the expert care I received from Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance was amazing. Without them, who knows what might have happened to me. It’s an absolute honour to be patron of such a fantastic service that helps hundreds of injured horse riders like myself.

“Providing pain relief is absolutely essential in helping the charity’s critical care paramedics do their job. Easing the patient’s pain enables the paramedics to provide treatment and perform important procedures more easily. Speaking from experience, I know just how important it is and I would encourage everyone to support it and give what they can.”