A determined Neath woman has continued to raise funds for the Wales Air Ambulance in memory of her much-loved brother Gary.
Laura Jones recently took part in the Charity’s annual Walk Wales with James Hook fundraiser as a thank you to the medics that came to her brother’s aid after he suffered a fatal heart attack.
Medics on board the Wales Air Ambulance attended Gary, 67, at his Bryncoch home but sadly, despite their best efforts, he could not be saved.
Despite being fit and well Gary suffered a sudden, unexpected heart attack and passed away in 2022.
Laura, a grandmother-of-three, said: “Gary’s death was a huge shock to us all. After his morning shower, Gary went into his bedroom and laid on his bed. When my sister-in-law went upstairs, he appeared to have passed away. She immediately phoned 999 and was talked through how to give him CPR. Within a very short time, the medics arrived and took over and when she heard the air ambulance arriving, she became hopeful that they might actually be able to revive him. In spite of all their best efforts and tireless work, he could not be saved.
“My sister-in-law was full of praise for all the medics involved and for all the air ambulance staff in particular who were so kind and who provided aftercare for the family. We chose donations in memory of my brother to the Wales Air Ambulance and were surprised to learn that the service relies entirely on donations to operate its vehicles.”
As a thank you to the Charity, Laura took part in the Walk Wales with James Hook fundraiser with her friend Mandy for the second-year running. She raised an incredible £1,115 bringing her total fundraising for the all-Wales Charity to £4,265.
Laura with her brother GaryThere were three scenic routes to choose from along the Gower Peninsula and Laura opted to trek the 22-miles from Rhossili to Langland.
Despite slipping and hurting her knee, a determined Laura completed her challenge, she said: “I would like to thank everyone for their support in donating to my fundraiser for the amazing Wales Air Ambulance. I thoroughly enjoyed the walk, and it was a lovely day, the scenery is amazing and I met some lovely people along the way. I am super proud of the £1,115 that I raised for the air ambulance, which is a Charity very close to my heart.
“I’m not going lie it was hard at times, but the one thing I focused on got me through it and that was the reason why I was doing it in memory of my amazing brother Gary.”
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 lifesaving care.
Laura, 59, is no stranger to raising funds for the Wales Air Ambulance, last year she raised £1,500 by taking part in Walk Wales and in 2023, she took part in the Charity’s Air Miles Virtual Challenge just a few months after Gary passed away. Laura ran 40 miles and raised an incredible £1,295.
Laura also climbed to the summit of Pen y Fan, to mark a year of her brother’s passing, which raised £355.
Gail Windley, Wales Air Ambulance’s Events and Partnership Fundraiser, said: “A huge thank you to Laura for taking part in Walk Wales again this year and raising an incredible £1,115 for our Charity. It is so touching to hear that Laura has supported the Wales Air Ambulance after losing her brother, Gary.
“Thank you to everyone who has continued to support Laura in raising funds for the Wales Air Ambulance. The Charity needs to raise £13 million every year to keep our helicopters in the air and our rapid response vehicles on the road. Since Gary passed away Laura has raised an incredible £4,265 for our all-Wales Charity. By fundraising for the Wales Air Ambulance Laura will help us continue to be there for the people of Wales when they need us most.”
Laura would like to thank Vanessa for organising a bucket collection that raised £252 and to the generous customers at Tesco Neath Abbey for their support.
There’s still time to show your support to Laura by donating to her fundraising page
https://walk-wales.walesairambulance.com/laura-jones
