At Devon Air Ambulance, we often witness incredible care first-hand, whether it’s caring for a loved one who has suffered an accident or finding extra time (in an already busy schedule!) to volunteer.

We want to share an inspiring story of one mother – and her friends and family – who have gone the extra mile to turn a traumatic accident into an opportunity to raise lifesaving funds to help support Devon Air Ambulance. It’s not always easy to return to a regular routine after a serious accident, but this is a wonderful example of going above and beyond not just to recover but to help others too!

On 12th October, Charlotte Paul was driving along with her infant son Mylo, when they were involved in a high-impact collision with a coach. After the emergency services arrived and freed both Charlotte and Mylo from the car, it was soon apparent that Charlotte needed to get to hospital as quickly as possible to avoid long-term or even fatal injury. She had suffered a bleed on the brain and spleen, and had also broken her legs, ribs and arm.

Two Air Ambulances arrived on the scene shortly, to transport Mylo to the children’s hospital in Bristol and Charlotte to Derriford hospital. The journey to Derriford took only 30 minutes by air, but could have been 2 hours by road - a time-saving that means the difference between life and death. After being stabilised and put into a medically induced coma, Charlotte was operated on for 14 hours in Plymouth.

Thankfully Charlotte recovered well following the accident… but that’s not all. While she was in a coma, a group of relieved and grateful friends and family members decided they wanted to do something to say thank you to those who had come to Charlotte’s and Mylo’s aide. They pledged to take on the demanding 3 Peaks Challenge to raise money for Devon Air Ambulance, to help ensure that our vital service can continue. Not only that, but Charlotte and another group of friends will also be climbing the final mountain!

The challenge involves climbing each of the tallest mountains in England, Wales and Scotland: Scafell Pike (978m), Snowden (1,085m) and Ben Nevis (1,345m). That’s a combined ascent of over 3,400 metres, and over 40 kilometres of walking- so, we’re wishing them the best of luck!

This fundraising event is now closed, but if you are interested in supporting incredible people like Charlotte and her friends, visit our fundraiser's page to see what adventurous and inventive ways people are lending us their help. Interested in setting up an event yourself? Tell us about your fundraising idea!