DSAA Beeline, Issue 1 2017

why we do it
Alan was airlifted
by DSAA after
breaking his thigh
“I can’t thank the crew enough”
When Alan Whaley, a 74-year-old Gillingham resident, suffered a nasty fall,
the air ambulance was called. Alan shares his story
D
uring the course of this year it became
apparent that not all was well with my legs. In
early October I was about to see a consultant
about a right hip replacement, following x-rays. However,
on 6 October I helped my partner Jan in with some
shopping, caught my foot on a small threshold and fell
on the top of my right leg, which ended up at a very
strange angle.
I was in agony and screaming in pain so Jan called
the emergency services. A first responder arrived
from Shaftesbury and gave me oxygen and
painkillers. The land ambulance then arrived
and the crew realised I was in a bad way when
they saw that I had suffered a difficult break.
They discussed the road trip to both Yeovil and
Salisbury Hospital before making a decision that
the air ambulance would be a better option.
It was not long before the Dorset and Somerset
Air Ambulance landed in the field behind our house.
Fortunately, I was heavily sedated when the crew took
me back to the field towards the helicopter; it was very
uneven, which meant it was a little bumpy. I vaguely
remember the flight to Dorchester hospital, that’s
probably because of the sedation – I could have been
going to the moon as far as I was aware. As we landed
302
of our missions last year
took place in the county
of Dorset
I was given further medication to help with the pain,
which certainly made a big difference.
X-rays established that I had broken my right thigh, a
little distance under the hip. I was operated on the next
day with a ‘hanging nail’ inserted to hold the break, and a
metal rod inserted into my leg from thigh to knee. I spent
the next ten days in hospital. I was eventually discharged
on 17 October and I am currently getting around the
house with the use of crutches. I have had one return
visit to Dorchester hospital for X-rays, but it does
look like a long healing process.
As a long-term Dorset resident, Jan has
supported the Charity by way of regular
payments and raffles since the days that
collectors came round like football pool reps.
I haven’t been a Dorset resident as long and
didn’t know much about the air ambulance
until it was needed by a couple of our Bowls Club
colleagues in Gillingham.
The importance of such a service is certainly brought
home when you need it yourself and I can’t thank the
crew enough for the part they played that day.
The crew who attended Alan’s incident were:
Dr Tony Doyle, CCP Leonie German and Pilot
Phil Ware
22 01823 669604 | www.dsairambulance.org.uk
18-29 DSAA_Why we do it.indd 22 09/03/2017 10:21