Mother of Woodford Halse teenager who was stuck by a falling tree urges people to support the air ambulance

The mother of a girl who was treated by the air ambulance after she was seriously injured when a tree fell on her in a freak accident, is urging local people to support Air Ambulance Week
Annabelle OrrittAnnabelle Orritt
Annabelle Orritt

Victoria Brooks, from Woodford Halse, near Daventry will never forget the awful sight of her daughter Annabelle, then aged 10, lying on the ground covered in blood.

She will also never forget the reassuring sound of the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance helicopter taking off and flying her daughter to be treated at hospital.

Mrs Brooks said: “The air ambulance often flies over our village so I was aware of it.

“However, it wasn’t until it came to the rescue of my daughter that I found out how much effort goes into keeping it going as it is run by a charity and relies totally on public donations to keep flying.”

Mrs Brooks thinks Annabelle is “incredibly lucky” to have recovered from the accident in May 2014 and be able to walk down the aisle as a bridesmaid when she married her new partner 18 months later.

“If you didn’t know her before the accident and saw her now you would have no idea what she has been through,” she says.

Annabelle, now 13, spent three weeks in hospital and had several operations on her face and back. She had to continue to wear a back brace for a further seven months.

When she was lying in her hospital bed Annabelle told her mum that she wanted to raise money for the air ambulance.

True to her word she did and organised two fundraising balls at a local hotel.

Mrs Brooks said: “We can all follow Annabelle’s example and do something to support the local air ambulance. The charity receives no government funding and every mission it flies costs £1,700.”

The Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance is taking to the streets this national Air Ambulance Week – running from September 17 to 25 – to hand out its yellow cross pin badges in exchange for donations. Last year’s campaign raised £25,000.

People are being urged to wear the yellow cross badge as a symbol of their support for the air ambulance.