Why we fly
Kathy’s Story
Thankfully the local air ambulance was there for us when we needed it. We all take it for granted but it’s not until it touches your life in some way that you really appreciate the lifesaving work it does.
Teacher Kathy Bly was 35 weeks pregnant when the car she was driving was involved in a head-on collision with another vehicle on black ice.
It was her last week at work before going on maternity leave and she was travelling from her home at Hatton near Warwick to school.
A land ambulance attended the scene of the accident and Kathy’s injuries were assessed. She had sustained a broken shoulder, but paramedics were concerned that her unborn baby may be at risk if the impact of the crash had damaged the placenta.
Due to the icy weather conditions and the urgent need to check the baby, it was decided to transfer Kathy to the nearby hospital in Coventry by air ambulance.
It took just a few minutes to fly her to the urgent medical treatment she needed and after a scan doctors decided to perform an emergency caesarean section under general anaesthetic.
Kathy’s first child Ben was born weighing 5lb 3oz and, thankfully, he was completely healthy.
“We will never forget The Air Ambulance Service and the dramatic part they played in his birth!” she says.
As a precaution, Ben was admitted to the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) and a few days later Mum and baby were transferred to their local hospital in Warwick – where they stayed for two weeks.
Thankful for the part played by the WNAA in the birth of their son, Kathy and her husband Stuart asked their friends and family to make a donation to the charity and SCBU instead of buying baby gifts.
“Thankfully the local air ambulance was there for us when we needed it. We all take it for granted but it’s not until it touches your life in some way that you really appreciate the lifesaving work it does,” says Kathy.