YOURS Helicopter will now be able to help more lives

AS Wales Air Ambulance marks its 16th anniversary, the charity’s latest aircraft will be extending its service to operate seven days a week – helping children like Elain James who needed two emergency transfers at just 12 weeks old.

The EC135 T2e aircraft, based in Cardiff, is dedicated to completing inter-hospital transfers for neonates, children and adults. Extending this helicopter’s operating hours from five days per week will mean that all four of the charity’s aircraft will now run seven days a week.

All aspects of the seven-day transfer service – from the crew to the kit on board – will be entirely funded by the Wales Air Ambulance with no government or lottery funding. The extra operating hours will mean that the charity can help save more lives.

Elain James from Aberystwyth was just 12 weeks old when she first needed to be airlifted by the charity’s specialist children’s division, The Children’s Wales Air Ambulance.

Elain’s mum Bridget James, 33, said: “Elain, who’s now seven, was born with a rare heart condition called Pulmonary Atresia which affects the flow of blood through her heart valves.

“At three months old, Elain suddenly collapsed at home and we needed to get her to the specialist unit in Cardiff as they were the closest hospital equipped to deal with her condition. It would have taken more than three hours to get her there by road, which just wasn’t an option in my mind; she wouldn’t have made the journey. Instead, the Wales Air Ambulance got her there in just 30 minutes and Elain was seen by her specialists straight away, saving her life.

“Elain’s condition means she constantly needs a feeding tube connected through her nose. When she was three years old she accidently pulled the tube out and we needed to act quickly to get it reconnected before the hole closed over, which could have happened within a couple of hours. Being able to get her to hospital so quickly by air made a huge difference.”

The Children’s Wales Air Ambulance, the specialist division of the Wales Air Ambulance charity, is the only air ambulance service dedicated to serving the needs of its youngest patients.

Last year, in partnership with NHS Wales, the organisation introduced new, on-board incubators for vulnerable babies.