A man who was involved in a motorcycle collision has shown his appreciation for the air ambulance charity that helped him.
Dean Abbott, 33, from Hexham, and his father had travelled to the Lake District on their motorbikes on a sunny day in August 2010.
As the pair were travelling down the road in Windermere, Dean’s bike started to stutter so he turned the fuel tap to reserve while going over the brow of a hill, however he didn’t realise he was heading towards a right-hand corner and ended up going straight on.
Recalling the incident, he said: “My back wheel clipped the verge and the swinging arm hit a 40mph post and flung me between the bike and cast-iron railings. Up until this day I was a boisterous, unstoppable young man and for the first time, I was not in control.
“Luckily a doctor was riding her horse in a field close by and the people in a car on the opposite side of the road, who are now known as our ‘Derby family’, all provided support.
In a moment like this a lot goes through your mind; I remember feeling really tired, seeing the shock in my dad’s face and hearing the words ‘the ambulance can’t get here’.”
Due to the location and seriousness of Dean’s injuries, the critical care team from the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) was requested to attend the incident.
They flew from their base in Langwathby, Penrith and after landing close by in Windermere, a paramedic and doctor assessed and treated Dean’s multiple injuries on scene before airlifting him to hospital.
He said: “Apparently, your body can only cope with so much pain at one time; my ankle and shoulder were both broken, there were wounds on my ankle and forearm which required skin and muscle grafts. My shoulder and elbow were so badly dislocated I still have limited movement to this day and after spending a few weeks in intensive care, I had to be told that my hip was bruised and my nose was also broken.
“The helicopter was an angel from the sky for me and I doubt I would be here today without it. I spent the next four months in hospital, almost twelve months in a wheelchair and I still do regular physio.”
After witnessing the valuable work of GNAAS firsthand 14 years ago, Dean, who is the Business Development Manager at Ethical Planning, recently met with Ben Sisson, a specialist fundraiser from GNAAS, to discuss how he can provide support for the charity in the future.
The team at Ethical Planning are currently discussing organising a fundraiser event and GNAAS will be one of their chosen charities.
Dean said: “The accident changed my life and there are times when I have thought, why did this happened to me, but in truth, these things happen, hence why it is crucial to have lifesaving services in place.
“GNAAS saved my life and gave me a second chance, and I have made a promise to myself to give back in any way I can.”
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