Suffolk man Keith Taylor would like to thank East Anglian Air Ambulance supporters who make the charity’s life-saving work possible, after needing urgent critical care from the charity. Here, he explains how almost every piece of equipment was used to save his life following a road traffic collision
When motorcyclist Keith Taylor from Needham in Suffolk was involved in a road traffic collision (RTC) on his way to work in February 2022, he needed urgent critical care from East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA). Now, over three years on, Keith thanks the supporters who make the charity’s life-saving work possible. Having ridden motorcycles for over 30 years, Keith, then aged 59, was an experienced motorcyclist.
However, a few minutes into his journey on the busy A143, Keith was fighting for his life after being thrown 185 feet from his motorcycle, landing in the middle of the road. The left-hand side of his body took the impact; he was caught underneath his motorbike leaving him critically injured. EAAA’s Anglia One (Norwich) crew were tasked by helicopter to bring urgent treatment and care in the moments when Keith needed it most.
When Critical Care Paramedic (CCP) Rod Wells, Dr Ben and Dr Jon arrived at the scene of Keith’s incident, they immediately saw that Keith had open fractures to his left leg and arm. CCP Rod says, “When we landed, it soon became apparent Keith was a very poorly patient.
“I can remember the whole accident,” Keith recalls. “My arm and leg were caught in the wheels of my motorbike.” The crew’s immediate concern was the amount of blood Keith had lost, so they followed the major haemorrhage protocol to give him blood at the scene. Blood transfusions given at the incident scene can give the most gravely injured patients who are suffering a major bleed the best chance of getting to hospital through increasing oxygen delivery and clot production. Keith was also given sedation and pain relief so the crew could manipulate his severely injured leg. He was flown to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital for further treatment and care. Sadly, surgeons were unable to save his left leg, and it was amputated above the knee.
“They told me it was either my leg or my life,” Keith says. He spent two months in hospital followed by four and a half months in a rehabilitation centre, learning to walk again. “They told me I’d never walk again. It was very emotional, and I was in tears when I took my first steps.
“The EAAA crew said they used almost every piece of equipment they carried on the helicopter to save my life. If it wasn’t for the air ambulance and the charity’s supporters who fund this life-saving service, I wouldn’t have made it,” Keith adds.
CCP Rod, says, “Keith’s story demonstrates the impact that the public has when somebody’s day takes a devastating turn. The charity relies almost entirely on the support of the public to deliver it’s 24/7 life-saving service, enabling EAAA crews to respond to the most serious medical emergencies in our region.”
CCP Rod continues, “It’s a privilege to do the job that we do, but it’s thanks to kind donations and fundraising from the communities that we serve that critically injured and unwell people can have the best possible chance of survival. Lives, like Keith’s, can be saved.”
Each tasking, across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and sometimes beyond, costs an average of £4,250. The EAAA lottery, raffle and merchandise made up over 40% of the charity’s income in the last financial year.By playing the EAAA weekly lottery for as little as £1 per week, more people can help EAAA continue to provide life-saving care when someone’s day takes an unexpected and devastating turn.
EAAA provides 24/7 critical care, by air and road, to some of the region’s most seriously ill and injured people. The charity receives no regular government funding, relying almost entirely on fundraising and donations from the public. In 2024, EAAA crew provided treatment and care to 1,941 people. 394 of these had been involved in road traffic collisions.
Read Keith’s full story – Keith’s Story – East Anglian Air Ambulance
Featured image of Keith Taylor – supplied by EAAA
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