Our Impact Patient Stories “I wanted to share our story” - Dave & Karen's Story Dave Roberts was airlifted to hospital after being involved in a serious road traffic incident. His wife Karen, kindly tells us more… A Life-Changing Incident In February 2023, my husband Dave was involved in a serious road traffic accident which nearly took his life. Dave sustained many broken bones and was airlifted by Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance (DSAA) to Southmead Hospital in Bristol for urgent treatment. He spent just under three weeks in hospital after having complex surgery to reconstruct his shattered pelvis, which is amazing given the injuries that he had. The Impact on Mental Health Unfortunately, my mental health has suffered and I have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the accident. We are both incredibly grateful to Chloe from the patient and family liaison team who contacted us not long after the accident happened and has been in regular contact since. She has been amazing! 10th Anniversary Challenge It was our 10th wedding anniversary in June and under normal circumstances, we would have completed a 22km trek across Dartmoor. However, this wasn’t possible due to Dave’s injuries and ongoing rehabilitation. I, therefore, decided to challenge myself to complete a 52km walk (combining Dave’s steps and mine) along the length of the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal and back again. Walking has always been something that Dave and I have enjoyed together, so a sponsored walk seemed the most appropriate way to raise funds and show our appreciation to the DSAA team that helped him that day. A Walk to Remember On the day of the walk, Dave, my children and my friends, waved me off at the start and joined me for the last few kilometres to keep me going. It was emotional at times, but I loved every moment of it. I even commented at the end to say that I could keep going! The best part of that day was when Dave joined me for the last 8km and we both walked onto the helipad at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton together. What an achievement that was; I was so proud of him and delighted to raise over £2,600 for DSAA! Meeting the DSAA Crew We were fortunate to meet the DSAA crew at the airbase to say thank you for the care that they gave Dave following the accident. Dave has vague memories of the accident, so it was nice for him to be able to put faces and names to the people who looked after him. I wanted to share our story to highlight the incredible service provided by DSAA, to say thank you and to show how grateful we are, as without donations from the general public, this life-saving service would not be possible. VIEW FROM THE CREW: Chloe, Patient and Family Liaison Nurse Prior to our team’s arrival, Dave had been assessed by our ambulance service colleagues and safely extricated from his car to the roadside with the assistance of the Fire and Rescue Service. This was of great assistance and allowed our critical care team to immediately begin assessing Dave. Our team suspected that Dave had suffered a clavicle fracture, pelvic fracture and a possible head injury. They could not rule out a head injury, as he had suffered some amnesia at the scene with a significant mechanism of injury. The team applied a pelvic binder, intravenous access and administered intravenous analgesia to make him more comfortable, which had good effect. Given Dave’s injuries, a decision was made to airlift him to Southmead Hospital’s Major Trauma Centre in Bristol for further investigations, diagnosis and onward care. Dave was awake and stable for the 15-minute flight. This 60-mile journey would have taken considerably longer if he had travelled by road. At Southmead Hospital, Dave’s CT scan confirmed he had suffered a shattered pelvis, clavicle fracture, rib fractures and an orbital fracture. Thankfully at this stage, a head injury was ruled out. He underwent surgery and required lengthy rehabilitation, and as Karen has said, remained an inpatient for almost three weeks! Within the first week, I spoke to Karen on the phone to introduce myself and our patient and family liaison service. I initially offered some emotional support, validating feelings and some understanding of trauma reactions. This was followed by a meeting with Dave and Karen at his bedside. It was lovely to meet them both and hear Dave’s positive determination to get out of hospital and mobilising independently again. Eight months later, it was great to have them both visit us at the airbase to meet some of the team who cared for Dave that day. I know this was a huge psychological step, especially for Karen who had previously found helicopters triggering since the accident. Karen and Dave have shown such strength and determination in their physical and mental recovery following the accident and it has been a pleasure to support them both. Your donation helps to save lives If you've been inspired by Dave and Karen's story and would like to help us to continue saving lives, we would be grateful to receive your donation. No matter how big or small, every penny donated really will make a big difference! Thank you for supporting your local air ambulance. Please select a donation amount (required) £10 Could help towards the cost of the essential supplies used by our team when treating seriously ill or injured patients. £25 Could help towards the cost of a vital pint of blood, for a critically ill or injured patient. £50 Could help towards the cost of a blanket to provide vital warmth and make patients feel safe in their time of need. Other Set up a regular payment Donate NEXT: Shelley's Story Manage Cookie Preferences