A Thetford woman has spoken of her gratitude to East Anglian Air Ambulance after a dramatic emergency response at her home earlier this year.
Liz in the air ambulance, happily looking forward to her flight knowing she was in safe hands
Liz Mantle, who has lived with the heart condition atrial fibrillation for 14 years, realised something was wrong one morning in March when her heart began beating rapidly and she became dizzy and short of breath.
After dialling 999, paramedics arrived at her home and quickly determined that additional medical support was needed. While connected to an ECG machine, Liz spotted a helicopter overhead and realised it was coming for her.
The East Anglian Air Ambulance helicopter landed near Nun’s Bridges before a doctor and two critical care paramedics rushed to assist.
“Fortunately, after an intravenous injection things calmed down considerably, and the decision was made to transfer me to West Suffolk Hospital,” said Liz.
“I later learned that I could have had a cardiac arrest if I hadn’t been treated so promptly, efficiently and with such amazing care.”
Liz said the experience gave her a new appreciation for the charity-funded service.
“I’d seen the East Anglian Air Ambulance helicopter flying over my Thetford home on many occasions and briefly wondered who, what, where, but it was only when I needed urgent care that I could fully appreciate how lucky we are and what a fantastic service is provided by such a dedicated team,” she said.
East Anglian Air Ambulance is currently appealing for support as it works to raise £8.2 million towards a new airbase in Cambridge. The charity must relocate before Cambridge Airport closes in 2030, with the new base intended to ensure crews can continue reaching patients across the region as quickly as possible.
Without a replacement Cambridge base, the charity says response times would increase significantly, potentially putting hundreds of lives each year at risk.
“This is an invaluable service that sometimes we take for granted,” said Liz.
“My rescue cost over £4,000, and much more is now needed as fuel costs spiral. My heartfelt thanks go to the entire team, and rest assured I’ll be holding the collection buckets at every available opportunity.”
