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(Music starts)
(Corinne Mason) It was on a Sunday evening that we joined the M6 and as we were on the
M6 my husband and myself could see and smell diesel. Just as we'd noticed it, the lady
in front of us, hit the diesel in her car, spun and crashed into the crash barrier.
Because we could see diesel in front of us, we decided to pull over
to the hard shoulder and get the children out to safety.
(Richard Mason) Well I got out of the car, to walk down the hard shoulder to make sure
the other driver was okay and as my family were getting out the car, another two cars
skid on the diesel and smashed into the car.
(Noise of car skidding, crashing and smashing into the car)
Unfortunately, my son was getting out of the car at the time, so I saw the car hit ours
and then our car get pushed into the verge. And my son go flying into the air
and landing on the hard shoulder.
(Music fades out)
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When I first got to him, he was broken on the floor. He was unconscious.
I didn't know his breathing so I essentially thought he was dead.
(Corinne Mason) There was hundreds, if not thousands of cars stopped still and I was
just screaming and shouting, just thinking we'd lost him. He was dead. As far as we were
concerned he was unconscious, his head was caved from the very top and all within five
seconds. That split decision to try and get him to safety, all went wrong.
The land ambulance were the first people to arrive. They were great. They got Fred into
the ambulance and made an assessment. Well almost instantly they decided that they needed
the Northwest Air Ambulance. When the Air Ambulance arrived, it was like a lifeline.
It was like somebody had come to help us. They were like heroes arriving.
(Richard Mason) When he got to taken to the helicopter, I was very distressed because
he was obviously seriously injured but when we saw the helicopter, we knew that he was
going to get to where he needs to be quickly.
(Corinne Mason) By Air Ambulance, it took them fifteen minutes to get him to Liverpool
Alder Hay Children's Hospital but by car, by land ambulance that would have taken an
hour and a half. You know he could have bled out. Anything could have happened but they
got him there quickly and safely.
(Music fades out)
(New music starts)
Fred had a decompressed skull after the accident, which meant that his skull was pushed in,
at the top corner. Fred was in Alder Hay for only a week but he got the nickname, the boy
of steel because they couldn't believe that this little boy that had been brought in under
these circumstances had made such a miraculous recovery. There was no long-term damage and
we managed to get him home a week later. After the surgery it was just a case of looking
after him and making sure that he was okay - physically, mentally and emotionally.
We're extremely thankful to the Northwest Air Ambulance and we'll never stop saying
thank you. The Northwest Air Ambulance changed the outcome for us. We don't know what would
have happened but what I do know is that time,
the quickness of the journey changed Fred's outcome.
(Richard Mason) The Northwest Air Ambulance - we didn't think about it one bit until we
really needed it and I suppose that's the point of it. You don't know until you need it.
So they need all the money they can get, to make sure
that they're there when you need them.
I think we'd do the same again. We'd pull over, but it does make you aware of how dangerous
the motorway can be and how quickly things can change, because we went from
(Richard starts to get upset)
We went from just a normal Sunday afternoon out, to what could be only described as the
worst day of your life. So yeah, things can change very quickly. Fred was a very lucky
boy. On that day, The Northwest Air Ambulance made a massive difference. He couldn't have
got to where he needed to be as quickly. He couldn't have got the care he needed that
quickly. Even he realizes how lucky he is. He is bouncy. He is bubbly.
So thank you very much.
(Corinne Mason) It's really important that people contribute to the Northwest Air Ambulance
if they can. It's a charity, so it needs people's support.
(Richard Mason) We didn't realise it until after the accident that it was a charity.
They need a lot of money, to help a lot of people. There's no other charity service that
provides this type of quick response, high-value care. Very well trained individuals.
You know, at the flick of a switch they can be there.
(Richard and Corinne's children) Thank you North West Air Ambulance because if it wasn't
you I wouldn't be sat here with my brother now. Thank you.
(Music fades out)