Mum 'thankful every day' for Air Ambulance crew who saved daughter's life after fall from horse
Report by Tim Scott
A mother from Greater Manchester says she's 'thankful every day' for the Air Ambulance team who saved her daughters life after she fell and was trampled by a horse.
Ruby Hayes was struck in the face by the Pony's hoof, and was dragged under the animal, which left her fighting for her life.
The accident happened at the end of her first day of high-school and her mum Sinead decided to take her out on their horses in the fields near Radcliffe.
The ride was going well until Ruby's horse tripped, throwing Ruby off. The teenager got caught underneath the horse and was spun around "like a washing machine" according to her mum. She was struck on the side of her face by a hoof and was seriously injured.
A crew from the North West Air Ambulance Charity arrived on the scene and began treating Ruby, who was vomiting and in and out of consciousness.
They gave her general-anaesthetic and put a breathing tube in her trachea. She was then taken to hospital on the NWAAC helicopter, where she was put in intensive-care in a medically-induced coma. She stayed in hospital for weeks until she was well enough to go home.
The quick thinking and expertise of the NWAAC crew - paramedic Andrew Duncan and doctor Eimhear Quinn saved Ruby's life and her eyesight.
Since the incident, mum Sinead has fundraised over three and a half thousand pounds as a thank-you to the North West Air Ambulance Charity. And two years on, Ruby and Sinead paid a visit to NWAAC headquarters to thank Andrew and Eimhear in person.
Andrew said: "She's a really lovely kid. She's done so well from it. She's very confident. She's taken it in her stride. She's amazing, absolutely amazing."
The reunion was an emotional moment for mum Sinead.
She said: "I don't know what would have happened on that day if it wasn't for them. Just thankful every day. You look up in the sky and you see the air ambulance, and I think... thank god for them, and they're off to save someone else."
Ruby says she's happy it's not just her that they saved, but everyone else they help too. And she's back horse-riding, competing in the National Dressage championships.
Last year, the North West Air Ambulance Charity was called to a total of 2,834 lifesaving missions, including attending to 775 road traffic collisions, where the service brought the hospital to the patient.
They receive no money from government and aren't part of the NHS. They rely on charitable donations. You can find out more about the work they do here