A gift in your Will could help to fund air ambulance charity lifesaving missions
Air Ambulance Week 2021 takes-off across the UK from 6th to 12th September, with air ambulance charities across the country delivering the vital message that Every Second Counts and Every Penny Matters when saving the lives of people with a sudden life-threatening injury or medical emergency.
Through sharing patient stories, the week raises awareness of how air ambulance charities save thousands of lives every year by rapidly delivering advanced lifesaving pre-hospital care directly to the side of patients at the scene of a life-threatening injury or medical emergency; essentially bringing the A&E department to the patient when every second counts towards survival.
Air Ambulance Week also coincides with Remember a Charity Week, reminding us all why leaving a gift in your Will is the best gift of all.
Air ambulance lifesaving missions cost on average around £2,500-£3,500 and are almost entirely funded by donations. Many are funded through generous gifts in Wills, helping to save the lives of people like Cillian who was just four-years-old when what started as a normal day, playing with his dinosaurs and eating pizza, suddenly turned to tragedy when he was knocked down by a motorcyclist.
Air Ambulance Northern Ireland was tasked to the scene carrying the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) crew on board. The Doctor and Paramedic team worked alongside Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) paramedics who were already at the scene, to carry out critical care interventions before transporting Cillian to hospital. Cillian suffered a brain injury incurring several bleeds on the brain, a blood clot as well as a fractured skull and femur.
Cillian spent nine days in Intensive Care at the Royal Victoria Hospital for sick children in Belfast, and for six of those days he was in an induced coma. Cillian’s recovery has been slow but thankfully, he was able to return to school part-time and is making good progress.
Cillian’s mum, Courtney recalls: “I remember Cillian being in the coma in Paediatric Intensive Care Unit and begging him just to wake up and it wouldn’t matter what we had to face just as long as we could cuddle him one more time and because of Air Ambulance Northern Ireland we have the chance to do that every day”.
How to leave a gift in your Will to air ambulance charities
For more information on leaving a precious gift in your Will to air ambulance charities please contact emma.carter@airambulancesuk or get in touch with your local air ambulance charity who will be pleased to discuss leaving a precious legacy to help save more lives.
How to support Air Ambulance Week
You can support Air Ambulance Week and be in with the chance of winning a stylish Audi Q3, while raising funds to support the lifesaving work of air ambulance charities, in our Every Second Counts prize draw. Entries close on Sunday 12th September. To play please visit www.everysecondcountsraffle.co.uk.
Alternatively, you can get in direct contact with your local air ambulance charity and find out about other ways to donate by visiting https://www.airambulancesuk.org/air-ambulance-week-2021/
Simmy Akhtar, CEO, of Air Ambulances UK said:
“A sudden life-threatening injury or illness can happen to anyone, anywhere at any time. When it happens, every second counts towards survival. That’s why the vital lifesaving work of air ambulance charities is so important and why we are encouraging everyone to support their local air ambulance during Air Ambulance Week.
“With many air ambulance charities experiencing a significant rise in callouts and many fundraising activities over the past year being adversely effected by COVID-19, now more than ever, air ambulance charities need support to ensure they can save even more lives.”
