A grateful Wales Air Ambulance past patient has raised an incredible £3,827 as a thank you to the Charity that came to his aid.
Scottish man Kenny Reid completed the Ultra-Trail Snowdonia 50k this month, for the all-Wales Charity after he was involved in an accident whilst riding his motorbike in Powys.
Following the accident Kenny was treated by the Charity’s critical care team and flown to the major trauma unit at the Royal Stoke University Hospital.
Kenny, an Engineering Manager, said: “I was lying at the side of the road in Wales with a broken left wrist, right arm, right shoulder blade and a badly torn muscle in my leg, not really sure what the future was going to look like. I had just been involved in a bad accident on my motorbike caused by another driver.
“Fortunately, the Wales Air Ambulance attended the scene of the accident, assessing my injuries and providing specialist medical treatment at the side of the road, before taking me to hospital.”
Kenny, 37, underwent major surgery to fix the bones in his wrist and arm, before he was discharged and had a long trip back home to Dundee.
As a thank you to the Charity, Kenny set himself the huge challenge of completing the Ultra-Trail Snowdonia 50k.
The Ultra-Trail Snowdonia 50k is a challenging mountain ultramarathon with over 3,400m+ of elevation gain, held in Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park.
Prior to this challenge Kenny, who hasn’t always been a runner, ran two half marathons last year and ‘then went all out’ in October when he completed the Bennachie Ultra, a 50km ultramarathon with 1500m ascent.
Reflecting on his huge achievement of completing the Ultra-Trail Snowdonia 50k, a proud Kenny said: “It was a tough event. The conditions were awful with persistent rain, freezing wind and poor visibility which made it very challenging both physically and mentally! But I kept moving forward, thinking about how far I’ve come in the last few years and the reason I was doing it and that got me to the finish line.”
The day after the Ultra-Trail Snowdonia 50k Kenny was invited to the Wales Air Ambulance’s Caernarfon base, where he met some of the crew that came to his aid. He also met Elaine Orr the Charity’s Regional Fundraising Manager.
He said: “I had a nice visit to the air ambulance base in Caernarfon. It was great to meet two of the crew who were involved on the day I had the accident and be able to say thanks in person. It was also good to see the helicopter again under better circumstances!
“I’m incredibly grateful for the help I have received from everyone following the accident, but I know without the specialist support of the Wales Air Ambulance team, things could have been a lot worse.
“Recovery hasn’t been easy, but they have undoubtedly given me the chance to make the best recovery possible.”
Kenny smashed his fundraising target of £2,900 by raising an incredible £3,827 for the lifesaving cause.
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.
Elaine Orr, Wales Air Ambulance’s Regional Fundraising Manager for the area, said: “I was delighted to meet Kenny following his successful fundraising challenge. It was an opportunity for Kenny to meet some of the crew that helped him on the day of his accident.
“It is incredible to hear that despite what Kenny has been through, he returned to Wales to take on the huge challenge of taking part in the Ultra-Trail Snowdonia 50k. It is always heartwarming to hear of past patients that despite what they have been through want to take on a challenge to raise funds for the Wales Air Ambulance.
“Kenny underwent major surgery in hospital, and since then worked hard to build up his fitness to take on this challenge, which is incredible.
“Wales Air Ambulance needs to raise £13 million every year to keep our helicopters in the air and our rapid response vehicles on the road.
“Kenny has raised an amazing amount for our lifesaving charity, fundraisers, like his, will help us continue to be there for the people of Wales when they need us most. Thank you so much for supporting our Charity. We are extremely grateful.
“Thank you to everyone who supported Kenny with his fundraiser, you’ve all played a part in saving lives across Wales.”
There’s still time to show Kenny your support by donating to his fundraising page
https://www.justgiving.com/page/kenny-reid-2
