999 crews get a huge thankyou for saving Wisbech toddler’s leg after it was run over by a lawn-mower
Amelia Duncan with EEAST and NARs staff Amelia with EEAST and NARs staff - Credit: Archant
Amelia Duncan is a typical toddler who loves running around playing with her brother and sister.
Amelia Duncan with her family and EEAST and NARS staff - Credit: Archant
However, there was nothing typical about May 27 when she suffered a serious injury after running out in front of a ride-on lawnmower.
The two-year-old and her family were reunited this week with the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) and Norfolk Accident Rescue Service (NARS) staff that helped save her foot.
Remarkably, Amelia was able to walk again six weeks after her leg was run over by the mower in Wisbech.
It is a job that paramedics Andy Long and Jordan van Noortwijk and University of East Anglia (UEA) student paramedic Rachel Sheehan will never forget after arriving first and quickly establishing the seriousness of the injury.
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They were joined by critical care paramedic Carl Smith, who volunteers for NARS, who helped treat the toddler and rushed her straight to the major trauma centre - Addenbrooke’s Hospital.
Carl said: “Amelia had suffered a limb-threatening injury and her foot needed oxygen and specialist plastic surgery. There’s a strong chance she would have lost her foot if we hadn’t taken her straight to Addenbrooke’s.”
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Amelia was in hospital for nearly four weeks and had seven operations to repair her foot.
Her parents, Tracey and Ben, thanked the paramedics for their work.
“One minute she was there and the next minute she was under the lawnmower. I feel happier after seeing them all again. If it wasn’t for them we don’t know what might have happened,” said Tracey.
The family are organising a family fun day on the anniversary of the incident on May 27, 2018 to raise funds for NARS at Sprowston Sports and Social Club.
Rachel added it was “amazing” to see Amelia again.
She said: “It is really nice to know what has happened. I did not think that she would be walking now, even if they saved her leg.”
