Helen Turner from Burntwood in Cannock was in the final stages of her pregnancy when she fell ill at home in School Walk. Suffering from severe breathing difficulties, the alarm was raised and ambulance crews rushed to her assistance. The Staffordshire based Midlands Air Ambulance was also scrambled from its base at Tatenhill Airfield near Burton on Trent.
The condition of Helen was giving serious cause for concern as Paramedics made attempts to stabilise her condition before the decision was taken to airlift Helen to the nearby New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton. The situation took a dramatic turn for the worse during the final stages of the helicopter journey when Helen stopped breathing and flight Paramedics needed to start resuscitation procedures as they rushed her from the helipad to the emergency suite.
Thankfully, Helen responded successfully to further treatment and has since fully recovered to enable a visit to be arranged at the Cosford base of Midlands Air Ambulance to meet the
medics who helped save her life. Helen also brought along Alexandria who is now eight weeks old and suffered no ill effects from the dramatic events of last March.
Recalling the experience, Helen said:
“I don’t really remember a great deal about my sudden illness. I am only now finding out a little more about that day. I do recall afterwards that I was disappointed having no recollection of the helicopter ride, because I was contemplating a parachute jump in the future.”
