THE GRATEFUL daughter of a man who was airlifted after being kicked in the head by a cow is raising money for the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) by taking on a 20-mile bike ride.
George Dent, a 61-year-old farmer from Cockfield, County Durham, suffered a blow to the head after one of his cows kicked him on February 21, 2016, causing life-threatening blood loss.
The previous month, Mr Dent suffered a mild heart attack caused by a blood clot, meaning he was already on blood thinners for life and any bleeds require urgent medical attention.
The GNAAS team flew him to James Cook University Hospital in under 14 minutes where he received the care needed to make a full recovery.
Mr Dent’s daughter Amy Burney, 35, said: “My dad suffered a serious blow to the head, and as it was February he was wearing a woolly hat at the time.
“He took the hat off and it was full of blood, so I tried to patch him up, and within minutes of phoning 999 the GNAAS were here and they were absolutely amazing.
“I explained what had happened and told them that he was on medication, to make sure he got the right treatment and they instantly took over and were just top class.
“Without GNAAS dad would have had to travel to hospital by road which is more than 30 miles away and up to an hour’s travelling time.”
To thank GNAAS for their quick response to the scene, the mother-of-three, from Bishop Auckland, is raising money by taking part in a 20-mile bike ride on Sunday July 16 from Cockfield to Barnard Castle.
Mrs Burney hadn’t ridden a bike since she was 15, but as soon as she put her foot on the pedals she discovered a newfound enjoyment for the sport.
She said the training has been tough, but her family have been incredibly supportive, especially her three young children, who have regularly accompanied her on family bike rides.
She hopes that her sponsored bike ride will become an annual event, with her eventually biking from her home to Middlesbrough.
Mrs Burney said: “I don’t know what we would have done without GNAAS.
“No amount of money in the world can ever repay them. My dad is priceless to us. We love him with every beat and inch of our hearts. We will be forever thankful and grateful for what they did for my dad.”
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