A MOTHER is hosting a charity night in aid of the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS), ten years after they saved the lives of her children who were involved in a horrific car crash.

 

Jack Handyside, 20, and Sophie Handyside, 18, suffered catastrophic injuries following a collision in Staindrop, County Durham, in September 2012.

 

Two aircraft from GNAAS were sent to the incident to deliver advanced critical care, and they requested help from Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

 

Jack had a bleed on the brain, which was severely swollen, while Sophie suffered a fractured skull and broken wrist.

 

They were both anaesthetised on scene and airlifted by GNAAS to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, while their father was airlifted to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.

 

Jack and Sophie’s mother Julie Elstob, from Barnard Castle, said: “They both have traumatic brain injuries and will require 24-hour support for the rest of their lives and will never live independently.

“Lots of rehab and hard work has got them to where they are today.

 

“Jack is currently doing volunteering with support at a local animal rescue centre and Sophie is attending college with support doing Health and Social Care.”

 

Ever since the incident, Ms Elstob, from Barnard Castle, has held several fundraisers in aid of GNAAS and will be hosting an event on 1 October, just days after the tenth anniversary of the crash.

 

She said: “It will be ten years in September since GNAAS’ aircraft were needed for Jack and Sophie.

 

“Without the air ambulance I believe they wouldn’t be here today. It was the quick work of getting them to hospital and the life-saving treatment that made a difference, so I’m organising another charity evening for them.”

 

The charity night is on 1 October at Butterknowle Village Hall 7.30pm – midnight and will feature live music and a raffle.

 

Tickets are £10 which include a pie and peas supper. To buy tickets call Julie on 07707 793954.

 

GNAAS is dependent on donations to survive and has launched a raffle with a top prize of £10,000 to help it meet rising demand for its services. Tickets cost £1 each and are available now at https://gna.as/2022raffle

 

About GNAAS

  • The Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) is a charitably funded air ambulance service which provides life-saving throughout the North East, North Yorkshire, and Cumbria.
  • They operate two helicopters 365 days a year and also operate a night-time service in the North East and Cumbria on rapid response vehicles.
  • The aircraft cover an area of about 8,000 square miles and on board are specialist doctors and paramedics who effectively bring the hospital to the patient.
  • The level of skill and expertise of the on-board team mean they respond to the most critically ill and injured people, giving them the best chance of survival.
  • GNAAS is a progressive organisation which has pioneered pre-hospital care in the region.
  • The latest techniques, equipment and drugs are constantly being evaluated to ensure the charity can provide the best care possible for their patients.
  • 2022 marks the service providing 20 years of life-saving care. Throughout this time, they have responded to more than 23,500 times across the region, with road traffic collisions being the most frequent type of incident responded to by the team.
  • They do not receive Government funding and must therefore raise £6.7m a year through public donations to remain operational.

For more information visit: https://www.greatnorthairambulance.co.uk/ or follow @gnairambulance on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTokMother hosting charity night ten years after horrific car crash