East Anglian Air Ambulance marks 25th birthday

A charity which helps those in critical medical emergencies on a daily basis has marked its 25th birthday.

The East Anglian Air Ambulance marked a quarter of a century since it first registered with the Charity Commission on September 6.

In its 25 years, the charity has treated more than 27,000 of the most seriously ill and injured people in the region, which has only been possible thanks to public donations and support.

EAAA receives no regular Government funding.

While it was first registered on September 6, 2000, the first flights took place one day a week in early 2001.

On average, crews from the East Anglian Air Ambulance’s bases in Norwich and Cambridge treat six people a day, including those who have been in road traffic collisions, gone into cardiac arrest and experienced other medical emergencies.

Pepe Casanova was just five months old in 2014 when he becamde lethargic and started vomiting.

Mum Ana consulted an out-of-hours doctor, but a couple of days later his condition deteriorated rapidly overnight.

She said: “I looked down at Pepe, he was a funny colour, and his eyes weren’t focusing.

“We called 999 and we were asked to count Pepe’s breaths, which were very fast. Then everything happened very quickly.”

A first responder, two ambulances and East Anglian Air Ambulance were sent to the family’s home near Wymondham, which is when Ana realised the seriousness of the situation.

“The critical care crew from East Anglian Air Ambulance took charge. One of the tests they carried out was on Pepe’s blood. I saw the clinicians look at each other – it felt significant,” she said.

Pepe had undiagnosed Type One diabetes and had slipped into a diabetic coma, which meant it was a race against time.

A crew member used a driver to insert a needle into Pepe’s shinbone to deliver fluids directly into his bone marrow to stabilise his condition before transferring him by land ambulance to Norwich and Norfolk University Hospital.

Ana said: “This was just the beginning of our journey as it was a long road to recovery. We didn’t know at this point whether Pepe would be brain damaged or have suffered organ failure.

“Thanks in part to the help of EAAA, he recovered and is alive, well and is an amazing child. He is loving, empathetic and I am so proud of him. His greatest achievement is how well he deals with his diabetes every day.”

Due to its lack of regular Government funding, East Anglian Air Ambulance is almost entirely reliant on the public’s support.

One of its regular fund-raisers is Only The Brave, a mud run and obstacle course held at the Euston Estate.

Matthew Jones, CEO, said: “Behind every statistic is a real person, a real family – a life changed, or a life saved because of the kindness of others.

“Ana and Pepe’s story is just one of thousands that reflect the extraordinary impact our crews have made over the past 25 years.

“Every day, we see how generous donations translate into urgent care for people in our communities who are facing trauma or medical emergencies.

“Because of that selfless support, patients like Pepe receive the right help at the right time, giving them the best possible chance of survival and recovery.”