A Solihull mother is sharing the story of how an air ambulance came to her rescue after enduring a head-on car crash while 35 weeks pregnant.
Kathy Bly hopes it will show the importance of the service and encourage people to donate to Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance’s Christmas appeal.
Kathy was heavily pregnant and one week away from maternity leave when the car she was driving was involved in the collision on black ice.
She was travelling to work from her previous home in Hatton, Warwickshire.
A land ambulance attended the scene of the accident and assessed Kathy’s injuries.
She had sustained a broken shoulder but paramedics were concerned her unborn baby may be at risk if the impact of the crash had damaged the placenta.
Due to icy weather conditions and an urgent need to check the baby, it was decided to transfer Kathy to Coventry’s University Hospital in Walsgrave.
It took just a few minutes to fly her to the hospital for 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.
He is now a happy and energetic nine-year-old who is looking forward to spending Christmas at the family home in Shirley, Solihull.
Kathy said: “I couldn’t believe it when I found out the charity receives no government funding, which is why I agreed to be featured.
“The air ambulance has certainly touched my life and my family’s, so we will be forever thankful to them.
“You literally don’t know when you might need them and people underestimate the difference they can make.
“I am so grateful for the role the air ambulance played in Ben’s arrival, because without them he might not be here today.
“We will never forget the dramatic part they played in his birth.”
The air ambulance is entirely dependent on donations which are especially important considering one vital trip can cost the service around £1,700.
