Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance (LNAA) is taking part in The Big Give Christmas Challenge to raise £90,000 in just one week.
The charity needs to raise £40,000 in online donations to secure a match pot that will double the amount raised. All donations will support LNAA’s life-saving work, day and night, every day of the year.
From Midday on Tuesday 2 December, to Midday Tuesday, 9 December, all donations will be doubled.
Money raised could go towards helping patients like a teenage motorcyclist who was found close to death at the roadside. After being dispatched by emergency services, LNAA pilots landed in a field close to the scene and the doctor-paramedic crew, loaded up with medical bags were soon by his side.
The crew gave the motorcyclist a blood transfusion but by the time the helicopter landed to transfer him to a major trauma centre, he needed another. The crew called LNAA’s critical care car team, who also carry blood on the car, and a further blood transfusion was given. By the time he arrived at hospital, around half of his whole blood volume had been transfused.
Paramedic Matt Burns said: “When we arrived on scene, I thought he could die and if there had been any delay to the blood transfusion, it’s highly likely he would have died there. He is one of the sickest patients I have been to in my entire career.”
Donations to the Christmas Challenge will be generously matched by LNAA’s campaign pledgers Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance Countryside Appeal (NAACA) and Community Champion, Reed Foundation, along with one of their long-term supporters.
Director of fundraising, Joe Waterton said: “Our crews respond to emergencies of the most serious kind, providing medical interventions that can mean the difference between life and death.
“Patients from across our two counties get the best care possible only because of the support we receive from people across Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire.
“We hope everyone will give generously this year to help us reach our target and enable us to help keep our crews flying through Christmas and the winter months.”
Visit https://www.ambucopter.org.uk/BigGive and make a donation from 12pm (midday) on #GivingTuesday (Tuesday, 2 December). The campaign will close at 12pm on Tuesday, 9 December.
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