---

28th August 2018

---

A family from Cheshire have thanked Wales Air Ambulance who flew to the aid of their eleven-year-old daughter whilst holidaying in North Wales.

The Slater family from Macclesfield were enjoying a family holiday on the Llŷn Peninsula when disaster struck during May half-term 2017.

Richard Slater recalls the frightening experience: “We were on holiday at the caravan in Abersoch just as my wife (Lynne) and I had done as kids. Our son Tom and Daughter Laura were on their scooters with friends enjoying themselves. Laura decided to scoot down a hill and it was at this moment when things took a turn for the worst.

“Whilst scooting down the hill, Laura crashed straight into the side of the car, leaving her with serious injuries.

“Fortunately, a friend of ours who is a nurse was nearby when the accident happened and suspected Laura had broken her femur. Upon the arrival of the Paramedics, they confirmed she had indeed broken her femur and an air ambulance was called because of the distance to Bangor.”

“When the helicopter arrived the Doctor and Critical Care Practitioner worked very quickly to stabilise her condition and tend to her other injuries which included a cracked rib and lacerations to her other leg. The initial plan was to fly her to Ysbyty Gwynedd but because of how busy they were, a decision was taken to fly Laura to the Major Trauma Centre at the Royal Stoke University Hospital instead.”

Laura Slater was flown from the scene at Abersoch to the Royal Stoke Hospital in a flight which took less than fifty minutes.

Richard added: “Upon arrival at Stoke, Laura was operated on the next day and had been discharged within a few days to recover at home. It was an incredible relief for us when we were told the air ambulance was en route. We realised the seriousness of her injuries so to have the helicopter fly her to the specialist care very quickly meant so much to us.

“We as a family think that Wales Air Ambulance is such an amazing service. Laura is living proof of how important they are in getting quickly to patients who need urgent medical care. We cannot thank the crew enough for what they did for our Laura.”

Wales Air Ambulance covers the whole of Wales every single day. Each year the helicopters attend around 2,500 missions, covering rural countryside and bustling towns and cities. With four helicopters located at Caernarfon, Welshpool, Llanelli, and Cardiff, Wales Air Ambulance can be anywhere in the country within twenty minutes. Every year the charity needs to raise £6.5 million to sustain the service and continue the lifesaving work.