Keep the air ambulance flying to save Mummy's life

The Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust is a unique charity, run solely on donations from the public. It receives no share of any NHS charity or government funding. 

My daughter Isla, age 6, has asked me to help her raise money to keep the heli flying. This page tells the story of the surreal journey our family has been through over the past 14 weeks, and how me nearly losing my life has inspired her. Please take a moment to read, donate if you can and SHARE!

The Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust are in dire straits financially now due to Covid-19 and the impact it has had on their fundraising. 

(The new heli in our field with my kids)

My name is Carrie. First and foremost I am Mum to Isla, 6 and Ted 4. 


It is actually Isla who has started this fundraising idea, following our most recent experience with the
Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust
(Aka the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service or HEMS team...)

(The HEMS team treating me at home) 

As well as being a Mum, I am also a wife, daughter, sister, friend. But my role in all of these (as much as I try not to let it) is ruled by an unpredictable and life threatening illness known as Type 2 Brittle Asthma.

I suffer cycles of frequent and severe asthma attacks which can see me deteriorate within minutes to a critical condition  and require prompt medical treatment. Since March 17th this year I have had 14 severe to near fatal attacks that have seen me hospitalised. At their worst they will see me ventilated in Intensive Care. 

Thumbs up - feeling brighter in ITU... 

The Critical Care team who work with the Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust have now saved my life twice in a month amid "Covid Chaos"  -
First on April 8th 2020 (they flew from their Newquay base to our field at home in just 6 minutes, and medicines that are otherwise only given in hospital were started immediately, saving my life.) 
They then attended again on May 2nd 2020 - the more severe attack of the two and one that even with their attendance I was lucky to walk away from. 

From these two experiences alone we know just how important as a family the Air Ambulance Charity's response time is in these life and death moments.

As a result of watching them land in our field to come 'like a Robin to the rescue' - my inspirational daughter Isla, aged 6, has turned a negative into a positive and made up a song called "Fly High" which she has now decided she is going to record (in her words) "to make lots of money to keep the Air Ambulance flying to save Mummy's life".

But she needs your help! 


Watch this space! Those of you that know my incredibly resilient, talented and determined daughter know she has - even at 6 - the ability to capture people's hearts and minds. 

Including mine!


So while we're waiting for her to finish and share her song, I thought I'd get this page lifted off the ground (pardon the pun!) 

Alongside being inspired by Isla, this cause is also especially close to me because I want to raise awareness of how important the Critical Care response time is in memory of a very special friend, Matt - who died on April 9th 2020 after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest at home aged just 27.

Matt was physically healthy and inspirational - last year running a half marathon a month for charity - 

(Matt & Amy at one of his charity runs) 

He would have been one of the first to back this cause on Isla and I's behalf with some fundraising of his own I am sure.

When someone's heart stops beating, the window to "get them back" gets smaller by the second. Amy, Matt's fiancé (one of my closest friends and a fellow seriously ill Brittle Asthmatic) amazingly performed CPR until help arrived, but unfortunately due to high demand volumes there was a delay. By the time the Bristol version of our  Critical Care team arrived, Matt had been without a heartbeat for over half an hour.

Miraculously - and a testament to the efficiency, resources and skills of those who treated him, they managed to get his heart going again. He was transferred to Southmead Hospital's Intensive Care - but unfortunately that half an hour was just too long and he passed away 48 hours later.

Matt's loss highlights further the need for this advanced level of care reaching the patient as quickly as possible. 

The more resources there are available, the lower the chance of this outcome becomes. Matt and I were attended for totally separate reasons within 24 hours of each other but by chance with very different response times and outcomes. We are a literal example of the 6 minute to 30 minute difference that resources and funding can make... 

They buy time. 


The relentless NHS ambulance paramedics and hospital staff who respond to emergencies on a regular basis cannot go without mention and are awesome beyond belief... But there are times when people require a higher level of care more quickly than even they can offer and they need to call in the critical care paramedics and doctors who work with this charity...

The HEMS team essentially provide Intensive Care level treatment at the scene and during transfer to hospital both in the form of advanced training and access to more medications. 

Please consider donating, doing a little fundraiser to join to this - or simply spread the word and

SHARE Isla's page!  


Surprisingly few people know the Cornwall Air Ambulance is a charity and relies on people like us - The people it saves - to keep its incredible service operational. 

Let's keep the Charity "Flying High" - 

For me from Isla... And Isla from me.

And... For everyone else they are needed by in the future. 

Thank you.