Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Anna’s story is testament to how the Air Ambulance NI team make a difference ..even when all the odds are stacked against you...
Family of girl thank heroes who saved life
A FUN-FILLED family day out to celebrate Anna Neville’s 11th birthday one year ago turned to horror after the schoolgirl suffered extensive injuries in a motocross accident, which left her family praying for her life.
Anna’s mum Grace was hoping pg for a girlie spa day with her only daughter, but being a “tomboy at heart” Anna chose motocross with her brothers at Magilligan Moto X Track, near Limavady, Co Derry.
The whole Neville family, from Co Tyrone, were at the track that Saturday.
Anna and her brothers Benjamin, 10, and nine-yearold David were completing their second session of laps when suddenly there was a commotion in one area of the track and people started shouting and waving for help.
Quickly realising something was wrong, Grace rushed to the scene where she found Anna had fallen off her bike and dad Andrew was shouting for help.
Anna was having a seizure and making choking sounds, leading Andrew to remove her helmet and hold her head.
At once they could see blood coming out of her ears, nose and mouth.
Anna’s eyes were rolling uncontrollably and her breathing started to become very laboured.
The emergency services were phoned immediately and a NIAS road crew soon arrived, followed by the charity Air Ambulance NI helicopter, bringing the Hel i c o p t e r E merg e n c y Medical Service team.
Grace recalled: “I remember looking up and seeing the helicopter hovering above us in the sky and then seconds later two men in red running towards Anna.
“The Air Ambulance team brought complete calmness and professionalism to the chaotic scenes and they worked on Anna for over 45 minutes.” She was
She is still recovering but it could have been worse GRACE NEVILLE YESTERDAY
in a lot of pain and was drifting in and out of consciousness so the HEMS team decided to put her i nto a medically-induced coma at the scene in order to prevent any further damage to her brain.
During this time, Anna’s parents waited anxiously as the team worked on their eldest child.
Grace remembered asking the Air Ambulance NI doctor why she wasn’t away to the hospital yet and he calmly replied: “The hospital is already here, and her treatment has already begun, we will do everything to help Anna.”
After providing that critical care at the scene of the accident, the HEMS team took Anna from the motocross track and flew her to the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children in less than 30 minutes, compared to a journey time of 90 minutes via road.
When Grace and Andrew arrived at the RBHSC, the initial assessments on Anna were not positive.
Every part of her brain had received a trauma injury and for the first three days she was not expected to live.
Anna had received a fractured skull, multiple bleeds on the brain, collapsed lung, detached retina and damage to her hearing as well as multiple fractures.
On the Tuesday following her accident, the team at RBHSC took her for an MRI scan which itself was a major procedure, taking more than four hours and eight members of staff.
Things then began to look a little more positive.
Grace and Andrew recounted: “The doctors were beginning to see signs Anna might live although they said it would be unlikely if she would ever walk and talk again.
“But we just wanted her to live and asked all our family and friends to pray for a miracle.”
The following two weeks, Anna went through a stage of high agitation as her brain was effectively resetting itself, but more positive news followed on December 8 when her medical team in RBHSC could see the progress she was making.
Anna continued to defy the odds and was finally allowed home in February 2020.
Then in early March, just before the country went into lockdown, Anna and the family visited the Air Ambulance base outside Lisburn and met the team, including the HEMS doctor who treated her that day. Grace said:
“Anna gave him the biggest hug ever, it was very emotional for everyone.
“It was so lovely to meet some of the team that treated her as it was all a blur when it happened.
“We got to learn so much about the service and Anna learnt so much about f lying and helicopters after speaking to the pilot.”
Anna has made a miraculous recovery over the past 12 months.
Grace said: “She started Year 8 in Cookstown High School in September and she is in the top class.
“She is very much still on the road to recovery, however, her short-term memory and processing skills are still improving and she has lost her hearing in one ear, but without the work of the Air Ambulance NI team, it could have been so much worse.”
Since her accident and continuing recovery, Anna has been inspired so much by the flying service she has a renewed determination to become an air traffic controller.
Grace said: “Without this life-saving service, the outcome for Anna would hav e b e en v er y dif ferent. Th e e x p e r t i s e , p rofe ssi o n a li sm a n d c ompassion of t h e e n t i re Ai r Ambulance NI Team is outstanding, they hold a very special place in our hearts.
“We would ask everyone to consider supporting the amazing work this charity provides.”
Damien Mcanespie, from the Air Ambulance NI Charity, said: “Anna’s story is testament to how the work of the entire Air Ambulance NI team and the doctors and nurses in the hospital can make a difference, even when the odds are stacked against you.
“I want to thank Anna and the Neville family for sharing their story and raising awareness of our service and the huge impact they can make.
“Our team is continuing to respond to the worst trauma accidents every day of the week and at a cost of £5,500 a day or £2million each year to maintain this service, any support the public could offer us would be much appreciated.”