A SCHOOLBOY who has raised almost £50,000 for the Wales Air Ambulance after it saved his life following a freak accident, has been recognised at the Child of Wales Awards.
Ioan Watts received the Young Fundraiser accolade at a glittering ceremony hosted by Welsh television presenter Gethin Jones at Swansea Arena on Friday, September 12.
The 12-year-old said: “It’s exciting to be part of this ceremony, and a lovely surprise to get this award.
“After my accident I wanted do something to help the Charity and started off with a 2K run, then we climbed Pen y Fan.
“I was also the face of the Christmas campaign last year, which helped raise thousands of pounds for the lifesaving service.”
The whole Watts family attended the award ceremony, with Ioan’s mum Lydia deeply moved that he had been nominated by the Charity.
She said: “We are super proud of Ioan, it’s so lovely for all of us to be able to be with him to celebrate how far he has come.
“His accident obviously had a massive impact on the whole family, so it is lovely to do something so positive together.”
In October 2022, the Watts family were celebrating their youngest son Rhodri’s birthday when it became a birthday to remember for all the wrong reasons.
Ioan was playing on his scooter in the garden shed, but the fun soon stopped when he slid across the concrete and fell 8ft over a ledge headfirst, leaving him fighting for his life.
Due to the nature of Ioan’s injuries, the Wales Air Ambulance dispatched two critical care teams – one by air and one by road. Upon arrival, it was immediately clear to the team that Ioan was extremely poorly; he was unconscious, having a seizure and he’d started vomiting which meant his airway was blocked.
Jez James, one of the medics on board Wales Air Ambulance that day, said: “As part of our role, we are faced with awful situations every day, but I have a son a similar age and this mission has stuck with me.
“Ioan was an incredibly poorly young boy, one of the sickest I’ve come across.”
The critical care team cleared his airway and gave him some medication to stop the seizure. They also delivered a pre-hospital anaesthetic and placed him on a ventilator, helping to protect his brain.
These treatments would usually only be available within a hospital setting, but thanks to the unique Third Sector and Public Sector partnership between the Wales Air Ambulance and Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service, Ioan received these procedures in his back garden before being transferred to the University Hospital of Wales, Neurosurgical and Paediatric Trauma Centre.
Lydia and Richard were told to expect the worst, and neither the Wales Air Ambulance crew or his family knew if Ioan would ever wake up or recover.
Jez continued: “My colleagues and I did all that we could for Ioan, delivering advanced critical care to him in his garden. We knew that we were going to give him the best possible chance of survival but with how poorly he was, we weren’t sure what the outcome would be.”
Ioan spent three weeks in intensive care in a coma and underwent a craniotomy, where part of his skull was removed. Whilst in a critical condition, Ioan’s dad spoke to a vicar; something he remembers like it was yesterday.
Against the odds, Ioan slowly began to show signs of improvement and was slowly taken off the ventilator.
Ioan’s grateful mum Lydia said: “After 3 weeks in a coma, and emergency brain surgery, Ioan began his slow recovery, learning to walk, talk and do almost everything he could do before his accident.
“He worked so hard and after 3 months in hospital, he came home to continue his recovery.”
Inspirational Ioan said: “I don’t remember my accident, but my family were told to prepare for the worst. I spent three months in hospital and underwent more surgery to put the part of my skull back into place.”
Ioan spent over three months in hospital, where he relearned how to walk, talk, and care for himself.
Just ten months after his accident, he completed the Caerphilly 2K, raising £4,460 for Wales Air Ambulance and Noah’s Ark. A month later, he climbed Pen y Fan with Jez. As the face of the Wales Air Ambulance Christmas Appeal, Ioan has helped raise over £45,000.
The Wales Air Ambulance Charity relies on public donations to raise the £11.2 million required every year to keep the helicopters in the air and rapid response vehicles on the road.
Now in his second year of high school, Ioan continues to inspire everyone with his courage and spirit.
Jez said: “It’s been fantastic to see Ioan walking up on stage to receive his well-deserved award for the incredible fundraising he has done for Wales Air Ambulance.
“The first time we met was obviously when we attended him at the family home, then I had the pleasure of walking with him to the top of Pen y Fan and supporting his charity fundraising.
“Reuniting at the awards, has been amazing. We have a connection after all he has been through, and he is such a great character.
“It’s really great to see him having the best time at such a wonderful event and getting on with his life.”
The Child of Wales Awards are a very special annual event that celebrates the inspirational achievements of the young people of Wales, while raising money for charities in Wales dedicated to helping children.
Its founder Blanche Sainsbury said: “We shine a bright light on an amazingly brave group of children and young people who face hardships and challenges every day, yet never give up, never stop trying – inspiring those around them in the process.
“Ioan’s story is extraordinary, his resilience when faced with the challenge of learning to walk and talk again, moved our judges. Just months after his accident he was fundraising for the Charity that saved his life.
“His commitment to raise as much as he can for Wales Air Ambulance, after overcoming so much is deeply moving, and he is a worthy recipient of the Young Fundraiser award.
“We are grateful to our sponsors and all those who helped make the night so special. We look forward to returning in 2026.”
