Stories of Our Ambulance Car

We need our Paramedic Car

Since the campaign to save the ambulance car began the community has been submitting their stories to us – many of them deeply personal, dealing with moments where fast access to emergency healthcare literally made the difference between life and death. We have spotlighted three of these stories here, with audio testimony from those involved. You can read more of these in our  “We need our Paramedic Car” booklet, which has gathered over fifty of these powerful stories  together. 

Dani’s Story

“Having a paramedic car in Swanage is a great comfort and life line for me.

In 2018 a car accident left me with a spinal injury and a tracheotomy breathing aid, sadly this will never improve. The spinal injury has left me wheelchair reliant and the tracheotomy makes me able to breath safety and clearly. With my spinal injury at a high level, I am also at risk of autonomic dysreflexia, which we have learnt to keep a eye on but if left untreated it is fatal.

Living in a seaside resort where in summer months it can take a good hour to 90 minutes to get to our nearest A&E. This would not leave me with a good outcome if I was to have a AD ATTACK. Or even quite possibly fatal should my tracheotomy come out.

Having a paramedic car in swanage and having some one with medical knowledge to be able to get to me should the worse happen is a life line for me. Please don’t take my life line away.”

Thelma Deacon interviews Dani for Purbeck Coast FM 101.2FM

Kevin’s Story

“Two and a half years ago I suffered a stroke! I was in the best of health physically, running long distances regularly. I was a mobile mechanic at the time working in and around Swanage. Two days before my birthday, on May 10th, I woke up with a twitching in my thumb. Thinking nothing of it I prepared as usual to drop my son to school and then headed out on my usual 10 trail run.

But doing my shoe laces was tricky with the twitching. My wife insisted I pop into Swanage Cottage Hospital and have a quick check over before I venture on my run! Well I was delayed in the hospital for over an hour so I missed my run and came home and went off to work! I was told it was a trapped nerve in my neck!!! By lunch time the sensation was getting worse so I popped home for lunch, my wife was a bit concerned so insisted I call the local surgery, they were all too busy to see me as I did not consider it to be urgent!

Martin the local rapid response paramedic driver just so happened to be in the surgery and offered to pop down to see me. He carried out several tests on me, but for some reason he would not leave, he kept questioning me about any other symptoms of which I had nothing other than my arm now tingling. I wasn’t until my wife said that I had a headache for a couple of days, this is when Martin and his skills as paramedic and a rapid response driver saved my life!!! Within a couple of minutes I found myself with my wife in the car and on my way to Poole Hospital on blues and twos at top speed. He was so calm and reassuring. We arrived at Poole Hospital and were greeted by the stroke team, which he had organised while driving me to hospital. I was in intensive care for two days…

Without any doubt had Martin and the car not been available my condition and the outcome would have been very different. I owe my life and my well-being to this truly amazing service. I am blessed I have made almost a full recovery as a direct result of this service getting me to hospital so quickly.”

Thelma Deacon interviews Kevin for Purbeck Coast FM 101.2FM

Lawrie and Wilma’s Story

“Our story took place in Whitsun 2013. My 32 year old son took ill, we didn’t realise how seriously. The second night we called 111 and the lovely Tammy arrived within minutes and calmly assessed the situation. She realized, and we didn’t, that he had lost the use of his legs and called for an ambulance to get him to Dorchester. Within 48 hours he was being red lighted to Southampton, where they finally identified transverse myelitis. He was in intensive care for 10 days and in hospital for 2 months. We really think that if she hadn’t come and identified that there was something seriously wrong, he may not have recovered.”

Thelma Deacon interviews Wilma for Purbeck Coast FM 101.2FM

For more stories download our booklet:

If you have a story of the ambulance car that we have not yet recorded please get in touch via our contact page! These stories form an important part of the evidence we need to show how vital this public health service is to our community!