Kerry Farwell-Stacey

Although Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS) has always been close to mine and my family’s hearts, I never dreamed that one day they would save my life. That day came towards the end of 2020, and now, I’m asking for your support to ensure they can be there for someone like me in the future.

My name is Kerry and late one evening last September, my life was saved by the expertise and skill of the KSS team after I was involved in a serious car accident.

I was in a taxi from Ebbsfleet Train Station, just a mile from my house – a journey that I’d made many times before – when a speeding car collided with us head on round a slight bend in the road. That is the last thing I remember before waking up in King’s College Hospital one week later.

My memory from that night is very faint, I had no idea what had happened to me.

In a way, I was lucky to have had my accident where I did, as KSS is one of the only air ambulance services in the country to fly 24/7 so they were able to get to me quickly. Due to the location of my incident, the team landed nearby and were transported to the scene by the police.

I was told that when they arrived I was struggling to remain conscious, with a fast heart rate and low blood pressure. I had multiple injuries, including fractures to my femur and pelvis. The KSS team administered an emergency anaesthesia so they could splint my leg and pelvis to avoid further injury.

Kerry taking part in our Run 31 challenge
The day Kerry arrived at her brother's house
The unique skills of the KSS team saved my life and for that I will be forever grateful

Kerry

I was given a blood transfusion at the scene, which was only possible because KSS carry blood onboard, as the team were concerned I might have been bleeding internally from the impact of the crash. It was decided I’d be taken to hospital by road with the team from KSS accompanying me so they could continue my blood transfusion.

The days from the first week that I was awake in hospital all blurred into one. I was unconscious for a week, and in hospital for a month, undergoing surgery to have a metal rod placed into my femur connected to my hip. When I was released from hospital, I still wasn’t able to go home as I was unable to manage stairs.

Luckily, my brother lives in a bungalow so in mid-October I moved in with him to begin
my recovery. Living with family gave me the confidence and encouragement I needed to try new things. Carrying tea in the wheelchair was interesting, but even more so when I upgraded to crutches!

I was able to return to my home just in time for Christmas.

I was grateful to be able to live with my brother, but I missed living in my own home with my husband Keith. With the help of my occupational therapist, just before Christmas I was mobile enough to be able to return to my house. Christmas 2020 looked a little different for everyone last year – myself included – because of the Coronavirus pandemic, but I was just so thankful to be back in my own house.

Looking ahead to this Christmas, my recovery is still ongoing, but I am determined to build up the muscles in my legs so that I can start to walk properly again. Without the interventions that KSS were able to provide at the scene of the accident, my recovery could have looked a lot different. In fact, I may not even have made it to the recovery stage. The unique skills of the KSS team saved my life and for that I will be forever grateful.

 

Our patients are at the centre of what we do.

There is nothing more heart-warming for our team than when a former patient gets in touch and wants to visit us. If you, or a family member, has been a patient of ours and would like to get in touch, we would love to hear from you. 

Saving lives when every second counts

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