A grateful grandfather has shown his support to the Charity that not only saved his life but also the life of his grandson, by donating £1,000.
Fred Richards, 82, from Alltwen, was attended to by the Wales Air Ambulance two years ago after suffering from heart problems.
On 3 January 2024, Fred, who had previously had a heart attack, ‘knew something was really, really wrong’ with his heart.
Fred phoned his son to say goodbye to him. His son dialled 999 and rushed straight over to Fred’s house.
An ambulance arrived within minutes to assist Fred, who was on the bathroom floor, and despite their efforts, they couldn’t regulate his heartbeat.
His heart went into an abnormal rhythm, which caused it to beat extremely fast. The condition is life-threatening and requires emergency medical treatment, so Wales Air Ambulance medics, Dr Matt O’Meara and Critical Care Practitioners Corey Mead and Christopher Marsh, were dispatched from a night shift at the Charity’s Cardiff base.
Fred said: “Along came the Wales Air Ambulance and the medic said, ‘you’re not going to like me for this, but I will save you’. They pumped something into me, and I felt like my body was burning, but then there was a relief.”
At Fred’s home, the medics administered medication to help maintain his blood pressure and some magnesium to improve his heart rhythm.
Fred also had a defibrillator attached in case his heart went into full cardiac arrest. He was taken to Morriston Hospital, Swansea, by road ambulance and the Wales Air Ambulance medic treated him onboard.
An emotional Fred said: “The air ambulance medic stayed with me until I was handed over to the cardiac specialist. I can’t thank him enough. I want to shout from the top of the mountain and say a huge thank you to the Wales Air Ambulance. I wouldn’t be here without them. They also saved my grandson when he was young. I’m so grateful.”
Fred was successfully treated in hospital and has since had an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) inserted. An ICD is a small battery-powered device placed in the chest. It monitors heart rhythms and can deliver electrical shocks to reboot the heart into a normal rhythm.
Ironically, almost ten years to the day, Fred’s grandson, Jenson, fell whilst playing in the yard at primary school. He also needed the help of the Wales Air Ambulance.
Jenson was airlifted to the University of Wales Hospital in Cardiff. Fred said ‘Jenson was upset because he couldn’t remember being in the helicopter’. Jenson, now 19, is studying to go into medicine.
Fred, who is a regular at his local pub The Pontardawe Inn, spotted that they are supporting the Wales Air Ambulance and donated £1,000 towards the £50,000 fundraising target set by the pub company Marston’s.
He had also donated a signed ball from the Ospreys rugby team, which he hopes the pub will raffle off in aid of the charity.
He said: ‘I wanted to donate as a thank you because the Charity is funded by public donations.”
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. 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.
This advanced critical care includes the ability to administer anaesthesia, deliver blood transfusions and conduct minor operations, all at the scene of an incident.
As a pan-Wales service, its dedicated crews, regardless of where they are based, will travel the length and breadth of the country to deliver emergency critical care.
Natalie Richards, the Charity’s Director of People and Organisational Development, was delighted to meet Fred at his local pub. She said: “A huge thank you to Fred for this incredible donation made to our lifesaving Charity. Fred and his family know firsthand how important our service is to the people of Wales, after not only his life was saved but that of his grandson.
“We are deeply touched that Fred wanted to donate and really appreciate his support of our all-Wales charity. The Wales Air Ambulance needs to raise a significant amount of money every year to enable us to continue to be there for you when you need us most. Donations, like Fred’s, will help us save lives across the country. Thank you so much, Fred.”
