Debbie's Story

When medics examined Debbie’s battered and broken body at her family farm near Tomintoul, they knew that speed would be a determining factor in saving her life – and Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance was there to fulfil that critical race against time.

Debbie was tossed and trampled by a cow when she went to help one of its twin calves. Horrifically injured, she managed to crawl free of the animals and reach the farmhouse, 150 yards away, where she slumped exhausted onto her knees on the kitchen floor.

“I didn’t feel any pain at that stage,” said the mother of three. “I went into survival mode and adrenaline spurred me on to seek help.”

That help came in the form of Debbie’s husband Andy who, spotting the farmhouse door lying open, stopped his Jeep and went to investigate.

“I shouted to him to call an ambulance and them slumped onto the dog’s soft mattress on the floor,” she said. “He’s a firefighter and knew first aid so he recognised I was in serious trouble.

“He explained what had happened to the emergency services and they immediately opted to send a helicopter. In hindsight, it was a decision that saved my life.”

Debbie knew she was seriously injured. The cow had not only tossed her but had also trampled on her – forcing its 700 kgs down on her legs and body.

“I’d started getting very sweaty which is a sign of internal bleeding,” she said. But all we could do was wait for help to arrive.”

SCAA, a land ambulance and two doctors from Inverness all arrived at the scene within minutes of each other.

“I remember the red suits,” said Debbie. “The pain was starting to build, and I remember screaming when one tried to move my leg.

“I don’t remember exactly what was happening to me but I did hear someone saying, ‘we need to get her out of here now’.”

Debbie is in no doubt the speed SCAA got her to critical care at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary saved her life. The flight took 20 minutes – a journey that would take around 90 minutes by road.

“If it wasn’t for the air ambulance, I doubt I would have survived,” she said. “Their fast actions allowed me to be whisked into emergency surgery which proved life- saving – and just in the nick of time. I remember being urged to sign the surgery agreement form as quickly as I could by the doctors and them shouting ‘someone call her husband NOW’.

“I had a punctured lung, my spleen had to be removed and three quarters of my liver was damaged,” said Debbie. “I had crushed ribs, a broken leg and was told that I lost seven litres of blood in the accident.”

Debbie spent nine days in hospital – four in intensive care, four in the high dependency unit and one on the ward – and doctors were astounded at how quickly she recovered from her injuries.

Just weeks after surgery, she made an emotional visit to SCAA’s Aberdeen base where she met one of the crew who had helped save her life.

“That was very emotional, to say the least,” she said. “A young paramedic who had been involved was the same age as my youngest son and he was delighted to see me looking so well after what I’d been through.

“It was so nice to meet people who care passionately about helping others and to be able to thank them for saving my life.

“SCAA is a national treasure and we should all support it if we can,” said Debbie. “You never know when you might need it – I certainly never thought I would.

“All I know is that without SCAA I wouldn’t be here and so many other lives would be lost as well. For my part, I’ve vowed that those two little calves – when old enough – will be sold to raise funds for SCAA so that they can be there for the next person whose life depends on them.”