Waterlooville family praise life-saving actions of air ambulance service

A MUM has praised the life-saving work carried out by the air ambulance when her daughter was hit by a car.
Maisie Godden-Hall with Chris Hill from the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance who helped after her accidentMaisie Godden-Hall with Chris Hill from the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance who helped after her accident
Maisie Godden-Hall with Chris Hill from the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance who helped after her accident

A Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance crew rushed to the scene where 11-year-old Maisie Godden-Hall, from Waterlooville, lay under the car.

The St Peter’s Catholic Primary School pupil was riding her bike to school along London Road in Waterlooville when she saw a car at the junction she was coming up to start to pull out.

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Maisie braked hard, flew over the handle bars on her bike, and landed head-first in front of the car, which then ran her over.

Her mum Jane Godden said the vital work carried out next by the emergency ambulance service is part of the reason Maisie is alive and recovering now.

She said: ‘Maisie was helicoptered from the scene of the accident to Southampton General Hospital in just 12 minutes.

‘She was stuck for 40 minutes underneath the car, the exhaust was resting on her shoulder.

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‘The crews assessed and treated Maisie at the scene, but they knew something was wrong.

‘A break in the pelvis can be very serious and they put in the necessary measures to support hers by securing it, so it wasn’t damaged any further.

‘Chris Hill was the air ambulance doctor who mainly assisted Maisie and he was fantastic.

‘I don’t know where to begin in thanking the team, if they hadn’t been there I don’t know what the outcome would have been.

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‘We were told if Maisie wasn’t wearing her helmet she would have died.’

Following the accident in November, Maisie was left with a shattered pelvis, a broken collar bone and major facial injuries.

She spent a month in hospital and had to use a wheelchair and crutches, but is now on the road to recovery.

The family say they are grateful to the fire, police, and ambulance services that assisted.

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Members of the public helped Maisie too, including a father and son who jacked up the car resting on top of her, and a woman who comforted her.

Maisie said: ‘I remember waking up under the car, petrified, not knowing what had happened.

‘The team were amazing, they really looked after me.

‘I’m so thankful to them and I wanted the HIOWAA to be government-funded because they do some fantastic work, I want people to donate to the charity.’

Maisie and her family have met Dr Hill and his team a number of times since the accident.

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HIOWAA chief executive, Alex Lochrance, said: ‘We’re amazingly proud of Maisie and send her every best wish for a continued strong recovery.

‘Our critical care teams are heroes and in the emergencies we attend, we provide people with the same skill and care they’d get in the emergency department of a hospital.

‘Maisie is a brilliant example of our charity strap line: Ordinary People. Extraordinary care. Supported by You.’