'We owe them everything': North West Air Ambulance marks 25 years of service
The parents of young boy whose life was saved by air ambulance paramedics say they "owe them everything" as the service marks 25 years since its first flight.
Jenson Downes was two-years-old when he spilt a boiling cup of tea all over his body at his home near Malpas in Cheshire in 2023.
After calling 999 the North West Air Ambulance (NWAAS) arrived within minutes, taking him to Manchester Children's Hospital, where he was for two weeks.
The youngster suffered serious burns and needed a skin graft to repair some of the damage.
His dad Jamie said: "All I heard was a smash of a cup and the worst nightmare happened, he was on the floor in hysterics.
"It was the worst day of my life. It was like living your worst nightmare.
"It was all over his chest, his face, luckily because of the swift help from the air ambulance it has helped [the burns].
"It it wasn't because of North West Air Ambulance, I don't want to think what could have happened really.
"They got us to the hospital in 15 minutes, by road it would have been an hour and 15 with rush hour traffic, you just don't even think, it's not worth thinking about."
"I heard this scream coming from the kitchen, I heard 'no, no no' and rushed downstairs. He was covered, screaming, it was very traumatic," his mum Michelle added.
"He's really well now, we owe the air ambulance everything, they're definitely heroes in our eyes.
"We didn't realise it [NWAAS] was a charity, we presumed it was part of the services we get with the NHS.
"Our hearts are very much here, we want to give as much back as we can really."
The service is often the difference between life and death and in the 25 years it has been operational NWAAS has attended 25,000 jobs.
In the past year alone it has helped 1,500 patients.
Mike Bray, 48, is another patient who owes his life to the air ambulance - after suffering a 'widow maker' heart attack, which has a 96% mortality rate if it happens outside of a hospital.
When he collapsed in the gym during a physio session in August 2019 a doctor in an air ambulance response car came to his rescue.
"Apparently I was unconscious for 12 minutes, so I was basically dead for 12 minutes, as soon as they [NWAAS] got there he said it was like some kind of miracle going on," he said.
"I really shouldn't be here if it wasn't for the people in the air ambulance. How do you thank these people?
"They just take it in their stride, but they've given me life."
He was rushed to hospital and, incredibly, four weeks later was back playing squash.
"Some people think they're a glorified taxi service," he added. "But that is so far from the truth.
"You're getting a hospital service brought to you in your biggest time of need, what a charity."
NWAAS now has three helicopters in total, two in Blackpool and one in Manchester.
"It's a fantastic achievement to get to hit 25 years, our birthday," Dave Briggs, Director of Operations at NWAAS said.
"Looking back from where we've come, a single helicopter in Blackpool that basically ferried people around in the sky to where we're now delivering enhanced pre-hospital care, life saving service, it's fantastic.
"We make sure a difference to the eight million people of the North West."
Around £18million is needed every year to keep the service running, but, a recent study showed just 42% of people in the North West - equating to more than three million people - are unaware it relies solely on public generosity and donations.
The charity's helicopters and critical care vehicles operate 365 days a year, with highly skilled doctors and critical care paramedics on board.
The teams provide enhanced pre-hospital care and hospital transfers to patients across the region each year – an area covering 5,500 square miles and more than eight million people.