On the 27th of December 2024, I didn’t expect the day to unfold as it did — and a helicopter ride was certainly not on my agenda.
At the end of last year, I had a horrific mountain bike accident that left me with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and eight broken bones. I was flown by the Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter directly to Christchurch Hospital, where I could be under the specialist care of the Neurosurgery team. I spent four days in a coma in the Intensive Care Unit. When I woke, I had to relearn everything — how to sit up, talk, read, write, walk, even climb stairs. You truly take everyday things for granted until you have to learn to do them all over again.
After five days in ICU, I moved to the Neuro High Dependency Unit, then to the Neuro Ward. Spending a total of two weeks in Christchurch Hospital before being transferred by the New Zealand Flying Doctor Service to the Acquired Brain Injury Unit (ABI) in Porirua, Wellington, where I spent another three weeks continuing my recovery.
None of this would have been possible without the incredible decision-making and care of the Nelson Marlborough Helicopter team — Prue (Critical Care Paramedic), Jeff (Critical Care Paramedic), and Colby (Pilot) — who acted swiftly and made the call to fly me directly to Christchurch Hospital so I could receive the specialist care I so desperately needed. Their skill, calmness, and professionalism on that day made all the difference to my long-term recovery.
In September, nine months after my accident, I had the privilege of meeting Prue, Jeff, and Colby in person. It was incredibly special to meet the team who quite literally saved my life and future. Being able to see how far I had come was not only meaningful for me and my family, but also reassuring for them. It was good for the helicopter team to see that flying me directly to Christchurch Hospital had been the right decision. I could see the reassurance it gave them — knowing that everything they did on the day was exactly what I needed.
Without the expertise of the Nelson Marlborough Helicopter team — and the care I received from the teams at Christchurch Hospital and ABI — I wouldn’t be anywhere near where I am today. I am forever grateful to my heroes for being there when I needed them most.
Because of the Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter, I’ve been given the chance to heal, recover, and look forward again. If you ever have the opportunity to donate to the helicopter service, please do so — you never know when you or someone you love might need them.
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