Newport mother takes on charity challenge after lifesaving helicopter response when her six-year-old son suffered a prolonged seizure
Newport mother takes on charity challenge after lifesaving helicopter response when her six-year-old son suffered a prolonged seizure
A GRATEFUL mother whose “world was turned upside down” when her young son suffered a life-threatening seizure is preparing to run a half marathon to thank the medics who came to his rescue.
Amber Morrison, 33, will take part in the Newport Half Marathon on April 19 in aid of the lifesaving work of the Wales Air Ambulance, which was dispatched when her six-year-old son Luan fell seriously ill at home.
Nearly two years ago, Amber and her husband Aron experienced every parent’s worst nightmare when Luan suffered a seizure lasting around 20 minutes. Paramedics rushed to the scene and, once the seizure ended, the youngster was unable to speak.
Because of the seriousness of the situation, the air ambulance was sent to help and landed in a nearby park.
Amber, a mother-of-two from Newport, said:
“Not being able to hear your once healthy boy say the word ‘mum’ was enough to shatter my heart into a thousand pieces.
“From the moment the Wales Air Ambulance arrived, the doctor on board took amazing care of our son and made decisions about which hospital he needed to go to in order to get the correct care.”
Before the incident, Luan had no known medical conditions. However, after arriving in hospital he continued to suffer seizures for several weeks while doctors tried to determine the cause.
Amber said: “We were unable to get to the bottom of what caused Luan’s seizures. He is now thriving and is seizure-free, but the quick response from Wales Air Ambulance truly made such a difference to all our lives.
“While we were in hospital, Wales Air Ambulance were fundraising outside. After speaking to them I learned that they do not receive any government funding and rely completely on donations.
“Since that day we donate to the charity every month because the work they do truly is lifesaving. Wales Air Ambulance was there for us as a family at the scariest time of our lives.”
As a way of giving back, Amber has signed up for the Newport Half Marathon, raising money for the charity that helped save her son.
She has already exceeded her original fundraising target of £250, raising £285 so far.
Training for the challenge has seen Amber run at least twice a week, with her longest run to date reaching 18 kilometres.
The ALN teaching assistant admits she never imagined herself taking on such a challenge.
“I have never been a runner,” she said. “I was the type of girl who would forge a note for P.E. in high school to get out of it.
“I started running last June to help with my mental health. After the traumatic incident with my son in April I also lost my mum just two months later, and I really hit rock bottom.
“I’ve had to push myself to keep going, but once I ran 5k comfortably I wanted to challenge myself. Running for Wales Air Ambulance keeps me motivated and I know it would make my mum very proud.”
The Wales Air Ambulance is a consultant-led service that brings hospital-level treatment directly to patients and, when needed, transports them to the most appropriate hospital for their condition.
Delivered through a partnership between the third sector and public services, the charity relies on public donations to raise the £13 million needed each year to keep its helicopters flying and rapid response vehicles on the road.
Highly skilled NHS consultants and critical care practitioners from the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service work alongside the charity’s crews, providing advanced care including anaesthesia, blood transfusions and even minor operations at the scene of incidents.
Amanda Rosenberg, regional fundraising manager for Wales Air Ambulance, praised Amber’s efforts.
She said: “We are so grateful to Amber for choosing to support our lifesaving service by running the Newport Half Marathon.
“Amber knows first-hand how important the Wales Air Ambulance is to the people of Wales. We are humbled that after Luan needed the service, Amber wanted to support us.
“It’s clear she has put her heart and soul into training. Without fundraisers like Amber, we wouldn’t be able to provide our lifesaving service across Wales.”
Those wishing to support Amber’s challenge can still donate via her fundraising page.
