Time flies! East Anglian Air Ambulance celebrates 20 years of rescues

Doesn’t time fly? Twenty years ago this week a new charity was formed to help save lives across East Anglia – the East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA).

Operating initially just one day a week on a Friday with one paramedic, this was the start of an important lifeline for many local people.

EAAA has grown quickly over 20 years to operate two helicopters across the region, which now carry a highly-skilled emergency medicine doctor and a critical care paramedic.

By 2007, EAAA was based at Cambridge airport as well as Norwich, and the introduction of the Anglia Two helicopter gave better cover to Cambridgeshire and started serving Bedfordshire.

No matter what the type of medical emergency, EAAA quickly takes the A&E department to the patient and gets them to the most appropriate hospital for their needs, to give them the best chance of survival.

This week, which is also Air Ambulance Week, EAAA has thanked the community for the support that keeps it airborne and revealed that over the last 20 years it has flown almost 30,000 missions and helped 20,000 patients.

The charity needs around £13 million a year to develop and deliver its service.

CEO Patrick Peal said: “EAAA is a unique lifeline for anyone in East Anglia. We are incredibly proud to be here today, having kept flying throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, and to see such a high need for our crews over the last few months.

“We know we’re providing an essential service for the people of East Anglia and we’re so, so thankful for all the support we have received over the last 20 years.

“We really couldn’t be here without the community that funds our lifesaving work and we have many fantastic supporters in Peterborough.

“A huge heartfelt thank you from all of us to everyone who has supported us over the years.”

EAAA has released a short film that explores how the service has grown and showcases some of the people it has helped.

To watch, click here Today, EAAA treats more than 1,700 patients a year and is operational 24/7 by rapid response vehicle.

Next year, it plans to extend its helicopter service to 24/7 coverage, to ensure the provision of the very best emergency care to those in need, whenever it is needed.

The charity does not receive regular government funding and is kept airborne thanks to local people.

EAAA is inviting supporters to join in the Together We Run ‘virtual’ 2,000-mile fundraising drive from September 14-20 to help keep EAAA’s yellow helicopters operational.

Pledge how many miles you can walk or run over the week to support EAAA and take part whenever and wherever you like.

Sign up by midnight on Sunday, September 13, to join one of the Together We Run virtual teams and for your miles to count towards the final total.

For more information and to sign up, go to www.eaaa.org.uk/werun

HEART ATTACK MUM: I OWE THEM MY LIFE

Charlotte Salmons, from Ely, suffered a cardiac arrest – out of the blue – three years ago. It happened while she was at home, aged 31, ordering birthday presents for her daughter, who was about to turn five.

Luckily, Charlotte was with her husband, James, when she collapsed. He immediately called 999 and started CPR. First responders arrived with a defibrillator, followed by an ambulance and the East Anglian Air Ambulance.

The chain of survival that night meant Charlotte got to hospital in a stable condition with a fighting chance.

She was diagnosed with an arrhythmia and had an ICD fitted, to shock her heart if it went into an abnormal rhythm again.

Charlotte said: “If it wasn’t for my husband starting CPR, and all the different teams who treated me, I simply wouldn’t be here today to watch my kids grow up. It’s scary to think about it, but it could so easily have turned out differently.

“I had no previous health concerns, and was a young, relatively fit and healthy woman, but suddenly my heart stopped beating while I was sat in my living room.

“Our world came crashing down and it was a long recovery, but thankfully I’m still here. East Anglian Air Ambulance really do save lives and I’d encourage everyone to support them, in any way you can.

“You just never know when you might need that yellow helicopter.”