Two-and-a-half years ago, Ayse Bidmead was listening to music whilst driving to work when she was involved in a serious road collision with a bus.
After being ejected from her car, Ayse, 32, was found in the middle of the road, confused and in extreme pain. She had a wound to her head, multiple abrasions to her chest and stomach, and an open fracture to her right leg.
Due to her severe injuries, paramedics identified that Ayse required pre-hospital critical care – something provided by the Wales Air Ambulance.
Wales Air Ambulance medics, critical care practitioners Ben Seabourne and Steffan Simpson, were dispatched from Cardiff Heliport to the scene in Mold. Upon arrival at 8:27am, the Charity’s critical care team found that, despite the treatment that had already been given to Ayse, her heart rate remained high and her blood pressure was extremely low.
Ayse was experiencing significant pain across her chest and stomach. The medics gave her a blood transfusion at the scene, as there was a potential that she had internal bleeding.
Ayse remained in a lot of pain and was given strong pain relief by the Wales Air Ambulance. Since she had open wounds, the crew also gave her antibiotics to prevent any infection.
After Ayse’s right leg was dressed and placed in a splint to keep it straight, she was flown to the emergency department at Aintree Hospital in just 15 minutes. The doctors at the trauma unit then took over her care.
Ayse said: “I was simply getting up and heading to work like any normal day and listening to Taylor Swift. The next thing I remember is being in severe pain with back injuries in the ambulance. At first it felt like a dream, but it was real.
“What I didn’t know at the time was that I had been involved in a serious road traffic collision with a bus and had been ejected from my car.
“A witness called the ambulance service, and while I was unconscious, the air ambulance team came to my rescue. I was safely transferred by helicopter and taken to hospital for emergency care.”
Ayse woke up in intensive care with multiple serious injuries, including an unstable fracture in her neck, multiple spinal fractures, several rib fractures, and significant soft tissue injuries, including a deep laceration to her right leg and thigh with muscle damage.
She also had internal injuries, including kidney, spleen and abdominal trauma, a blunt cardiac injury, as well as large areas of bruising and muscle haematomas.
During her recovery, Ayse developed blood clots in her lungs and spent a total of 13 weeks in hospital.
Reflecting on what she has been through, a grateful Ayse said: “My treatment involved intensive care support, surgery, a HALO brace for my neck fracture, wound washouts, a tracheostomy, debridement surgery, and a skin graft to my right thigh.
“I felt overwhelmed by everything that had happened. It’s hard to truly understand what people do for you until you experience it yourself, how they save your life and care for you when you can’t care for yourself.
“I feel incredibly grateful to everyone involved. It’s difficult to put into words just how much their actions meant to me.”
As well as being there from the beginning, Wales Air Ambulance continued to support Ayse once she was discharged from hospital.
The Charity offers an Aftercare Service through the introduction of its Patient Liaison Nurses. Thanks to this service, the Charity is now one of the first to arrive on scene but also the last to leave, ensuring that patients and their families are supported throughout their recovery.
Ayse received support from Patient Liaison Nurse Hayley Whitehead-Wright.
Ayse said: “The aftercare service was clear, supportive, and reassuring. Everything that had happened to me was explained to me fully, and all my questions were answered. I was provided with information throughout, including details about ongoing support available for both me and my family, such as counselling services.
“The care and communication were consistent and supportive at every stage.”
Wales Air Ambulance is consultant-led, taking hospital-standard treatments to the patient and, if required, transferring them directly to the most appropriate hospital for their illness or injury. For the patient, this can mean hours saved when compared to standard care and is proven to greatly improve survival and early recovery.
It is delivered via a unique Third Sector and Public Sector partnership. The Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS) supplies highly skilled NHS consultants and critical care practitioners who work on board the Charity’s vehicles.
Reflecting on how lucky she is to be here, Ayse said: “I am extremely thankful to the air ambulance team, and everyone involved, for helping to get me safely to hospital. I was also very well cared for by the hospital staff throughout my treatment.
“I want to say a sincere and heartfelt thank you to the Wales Air Ambulance team who came to my rescue when I was unconscious and unable to understand what was happening. Knowing that they were there and giving me the urgent care I needed means more than words can explain.
“The Wales Air Ambulance’s skill, compassion and calmness gave me a second chance, and I will always be deeply grateful to the service and to everyone who played a part in saving my life.”
