A former horse rider whose leg was saved after she suffered a horrendous injury during a day out with a friend is supporting Wales Air Ambulance’s Autumn Raffle.
“What was meant to be a fun day of riding turned into my worst nightmare at the final jump,” Charlotte Gude said., “As I lay waiting for help, so many thoughts were running through my head.”
“I was in pain, and I feared that I might not be able to walk again. But then I heard the faint sound in the distance of a helicopter, and I can only describe it as the sound of hope. I knew I was not alone.”
Wales Air Ambulance has completed more than 58,400 missions since its first flight on 1 March 2001, including responding to Charlotte’s accident in 2021. The 39-year-old from Neath is supporting the Charity’s Autumn Raffle to help raise vital funds for the service.
You can make a lifesaving difference by entering the Wales Air Ambulance online Autumn Raffle. Every ticket gives you the chance to win a prize while helping to keep this lifesaving service available for people across Wales.
Last year’s online raffle sold more than 12,000 tickets across Wales and raised over £14,000, which included additional donations from players.
Charlotte said: “I, like so many others, will be forever thankful for Wales Air Ambulance’s help. By buying a ticket you will be ensuring the service continues to be there for the people of Wales, whenever and wherever they are needed.”
Five years ago, she was enjoying a day out with a friend doing small jumps on local farmland, when disaster struck. “We were about to wrap it up and I thought, ‘I’ll do one more.’ But as we were about to go over, my horse refused, and I fell off the side and landed on my feet.
“Unfortunately, my body twisted one way, and my foot stayed on the ground. There was an almighty crack; that sound still haunts me to this day.”
Charlotte had suffered a severe open fracture to her lower leg, with her shin bone protruding through the skin.
She says it felt like everything went into slow motion, with her friend Ferne running towards her and pulling her to the ground, saying, “Don’t look at your leg.” Ferne called 999.
Charlotte, who works in NatWest Cymru’s Vulnerable Customers Department, said: “I was in so much pain and starting to get upset. I was crying, ‘Are they coming to me?’ The next thing my friend said was,‘The helicopter is coming for you.’”
“I was completely shocked; I knew if the air ambulance was coming, it was because this was bad.”
Her eyes started to well up as she recalled the moment she saw the helicopter in the sky. “I was panicky up until that point,” she said. “But then that all changed when I saw the air ambulance.”
She continued: “I have heard people describe them as angels from the sky, and that is exactly what I thought at the time because I was just so scared, and I did not know what was going to happen to me.
“They landed in the field just opposite us; two doctors were onboard and a critical care practitioner. They were all fantastic; they put me at ease.”
Wales Air Ambulance is a consultant-led service that brings hospital-standard treatments directly to patients. When required, its teams can transfer patients 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 £13 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.
Charlotte admits, “There isn’t a day where I don’t feel grateful to the service for what they did to help me.”
A consultant, a pre-hospital emergency medicine trainee and a Critical Care Practitioner treated Charlotte at the scene. They sedated her to relieve her pain and allow them to realign the fracture, an urgent procedure that improved blood flow to her foot.
Antibiotics and anti-sickness medication, alongside strong pain relief, were also administered. Clinicians wrapped her in a thermal blanket to keep her warm and to also improve the blood flow to her foot.
Charlotte spent two weeks in hospital and underwent more than 13 hours of surgery involving orthopaedic and plastic surgeons. Initially, a metal frame and pins stabilised the fracture before a titanium rod was inserted into her tibia. Her lower right leg was rebuilt using muscle and skin grafts from her left thigh.
She said: “Suffering an open wound on farmland carries a particularly high risk of infection. I was so fortunate that the air ambulance attended. The team helped to reduce the risk of infection and, by realigning my leg, ensured that blood flow to my foot was maintained.”
She continued: “I was flown by helicopter to Morriston Hospital. Before surgery, I signed a consent form acknowledging that my leg might need to be amputated while I was under anaesthetic.”
“I remember coming around after surgery, and the first thing I asked was, ‘Do I still have my leg?’ To my relief, the nurse said, ‘Yes.’”
She added: “Wales Air Ambulance is such a big part of my story now, and I want to do all I can to support the service. That is why I am delighted to volunteer and help with fundraising.
“When I was lying in my hospital bed, I found out I had come into a small bit of money. I donated it all to the Charity, as you cannot put a price on what it has done for me. I also make regular donations and do their raffles.”
Charlotte is no longer able to ride horses. She said: “It was my passion for twelve years, but it came down to my consultant saying if I were to fall again, it was likely my leg could be amputated.
“I am still an adrenaline junky, but I try to pick hobbies where I have a soft landing, so I like to go surfing and paddleboarding, and I can run too.”
Critical Care Practitioner Dan Jenkins has since reunited with Charlotte, describing it as ‘rewarding’ to see her doing so well after such a significant injury.
He added: “You always hope that each patient you attend has a better outcome because of the treatments we give them.
“In Charlotte’s case, it was important for us to act quickly, administer pain relief and realign her leg to ensure blood flow to her foot.
“She clearly has been through a lot of surgeries but knowing that we played a part in her positive outcome just emphasises the importance of what we do each day.”
Wales Air Ambulance Autumn Raffle tickets cost £1 and are available on the Charity’s website. The top prize is £3,000, with further prizes of £300 and £150.
The draw will take place on Wednesday 11 November, with the winners announced on the Charity’s website on Monday 16 November.
