Traumatic brain injury is the leading cause of death and disability in people under 40 in the UK. Outcomes for patients who do survive can be devastating. The impact on their lives and those of their loved ones is enormous, often affecting their personalities, relationships and their ability to live an independent life.
7-year-old Sacha was on a school trip to Richmond Park when a falling tree branch, weighing over 300kg, fell from a tree crushing him. Sacha suffered severe head injuries and broke his leg, arms, pelvis, back and five of his ribs.
With thanks to funding from The Hospital Saturday Fund, we have appointed a Head Injury Research Fellow to explore how best to treat adults and children, like Sacha, who have suffered life-threatening head injuries. Our doctors have recently reintroduced the concept of Impact Brain Apnoea into medical literature, showing that early intervention by providing oxygen could stop head injured patients dying needlessly.
We were on the scene in minutes to anaesthetise Sacha and protect his brain from further damage, before flying him to The Royal London Hospital. After many months of treatment and rehabilitation, Sacha is now at school full time with in-class support. Sacha’s mum explains “There will always be challenges in a mainstream learning environment, but with good support and understanding, we believe Sacha can go on to achieve great things!”
Sacha’s parents tell his story
We are now able to reach patients like Sacha more quickly, using a cutting-edge dispatch technology in the London Ambulance Service control room. In the first use of the technology in the capital, our paramedics are using 999 callers’ mobile phone cameras to get footage from serious incidents before they arrive on the scene.
The technology enables us to measure the pulse of an individual from the video, as well as being able to instantly locate the caller’s whereabouts. It has been used 134 times since it was introduced in October 2019 and is already helping us understand a patients’ injuries in advance, determine the best resources for their case, and provide quicker treatment.
Your support saves lives
We’re here for every one of the 10 million people in London, every second of every day. Thank you for playing a part in helping us to save lives.
If you would like to find out more about a specific project and how your involvement could make a lasting difference, please get in touch with Tanya Moss, Philanthropy Manager on: 020 3023 3308 or email [email protected]
