A Carmarthenshire man who suffered a severe head injury whilst cycling to work, says he “wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the Wales Air Ambulance”.
12 years ago, Roger Van Praet was travelling to Ffestiniog Railway, Boston Lodge Works, Porthmadog where he is a volunteer driver, when he had a road traffic collision with a pedestrian.
Roger, who is a non-executive director for FUW Insurance Services Limited, said: “It was a dire situation. I was unconscious on the road and thankfully someone I work with called the emergency services.
“I was stabilised by the land ambulance crew, then conveyed by blue light transfer to Ysbyty Gwynedd where it was established I had bleeds on the brain and required specialist help. They felt my best chance of survival was to receive treatment at Royal Stoke University Hospital.
“That’s when the Wales Air Ambulance was called. I have no recollection of this.
“I was told that I received critical care onboard and the clinicians and pilot ensured my safe arrival.”
He added: “The journey time to Stoke is something like 25 minutes by air and three and a half hours by road. I will be eternally grateful to the air ambulance team for looking after me and giving me the help I needed en route.
“There is no doubt, the helicopter transfer was absolutely critical to my survival.”
The 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 Wales Air Ambulance Charity relies on public donations to raise the £11.2 million required every year to keep the helicopters in the air and rapid response vehicles on the road.
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 lifesaving care.
Roger makes monthly donations to the Wales Air Ambulance. He said: “It’s such an important cause and deserves everyone’s support.”
The 66-year-old continued: “You never know when you are going to need the lifesaving service. I certainly didn’t wake up that morning thinking I was going to need critical care.”
The father of two and his wife Sian were staying in their caravan at the volunteer hostel in Porthmadog when he had his accident. It is around a mile from the Ffestiniog Railway Engine works.
Roger said: “I’d cycled the same route a dozen times with no issues. It was around 6.30 in the morning, not completely dark.
Roger was later told that roadworks were across the pavement and that a pedestrian was walking on the road when they collided.
He said: “We had a glancing blow with each other. I came off my bike headfirst and hit the road. The walker did not suffer any injuries.”
The former Compliance and Operations Director of the Farmers Union of Wales spent several days in ICU before finally waking up in acute care.
He said: “On the surface, I looked fine. There were no broken bones. But when I stood up my balance and coordination were challenging. I had to overcome this to walk again.
“The recovery took a lot longer than anticipated.”
Roger did not return to work for almost two years and in that time he says he had to “learn to adapt” and “live with the changes”.
He said: “I never returned to work full-time and instead went back on a three-days-a-week basis. It was a very worrying time for my family but the Farmers’ Union of Wales were extremely supportive.”
Roger continued to work for FUW Insurance Services as Managing Director before retiring in December 2020. However, he maintains links with the Union through his role as a non-executive director for FUW Insurance Services Limited.
He said: “I was absolutely delighted when the FUW President Ian Rickman announced that he would be fundraising for the Wales Air Ambulance during his presidency.
“It provides essential critical care and does an incredible job, saving lives and serving the communities across Wales.
“I’ve always wanted to experience a helicopter ride; it is such a shame that I did and have no recollection of any of it.”
