A CARLISLE woman has thanked the air ambulance paramedic who came to her aid after she fell from her bike at Hartside, Cumbria, and sustained a serious head injury.
Judith Bradshaw, 47, visited Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) paramedic Andy Dalton to praise him for his part in her rescue.
Ms Bradshaw was completing a coast to coast cycle ride when the accident happened on May 24 this year, shortly after setting off from Hartside Top Café in the direction of Alston.
Ms Bradshaw, a waste prevention officer for Cumbria County Council, was leading a group of six.
She said: “I was at the front and we were going downhill. I told everyone to be careful and to remember to turn right at the bottom. I looked at the barn on route and after that I don’t remember a thing. I woke up in Newcastle the next afternoon.
“My friend who found me lying in the road was worried when she realised there was blood coming from my head. We don’t know what happened for me to come off my bike. It may have been the wind or some gravel. We don’t have a clue.”
GNAAS treated Ms Bradshaw on the roadside and were able to stabilise her injuries before she was flown to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle.
Ms Bradshaw spent three days in the intensive care unit before being moved to the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle.
Last week, she visited GNAAS’ Langwathby airbase along with her daughter Abbie Bradshaw and sister Jill Curwen to meet the crew who helped her.
Mr Dalton said: “We were extremely worried about her, it’s brilliant to see her up and about and doing so well.”
During their visit, Ms Bradshaw realised she remembered Andy from school. She said: “I knew that I recognised his face when I first saw him. I can actually picture Andy at school when I think back and he must have been in scouts when I was in venture scouts. It just shows what a small world it is.
“It was great to meet the man who helped to save my life. I wanted to say thank you because without this service many families could lose someone they love. I can’t praise it enough, it is so valuable. The air ambulance is there so quick and makes such a difference.”
Abbie, 16, said: “I wanted to say a big thank you for saving my mum. It means the world to me and beyond. If it wasn’t for the amazing service, she would have been in a much worse condition.
The family already have plans for fundraisers in aid of the charity next year.
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