Cathryn Taylor
In July 2021, Cathryn Taylor, then age 43, from Essex was knocked off her bicycle while on her way home from work. It was a normal day on her normal route that she had cycled twice a day for two years. But that day was different.
At just before 4pm, as Cathryn made the journey home to her husband, James and son, Jenson, who was just five years old at the time, a vehicle hit her from behind. She was thrown 20 feet into the air, landing on her head. Cathryn was wearing a cycle helmet, however her glasses wedged in between her head and the helmet, causing a life-threatening head trauma.
East Anglian Air Ambulance’s (EAAA) Anglia Two (Cambridge) helicopter was tasked to support the ambulance service by bringing advanced critical care directly to Cathryn at the scene.
Cathryn explains: “When the crew from EAAA arrived, my GCS was three, so it really was a matter of life and death.” GCS stands for Glasgow Coma Scale; it is a tool used by clinicians to assess and calculate a person’s level of consciousness. It is scored from 3-15 with 15 being fully conscious.
The equipment carried by EAAA’s helicopters and critical care cars enables enhanced care at the incident scene – when the patient needs it most – such as blood transfusions, advanced pain relief, sedation and anaesthesia, and surgical interventions. This, combined with quick onward transfer to the most appropriate hospital, gives every patient treated by EAAA the best possible chance of surviving and recovering a life-threatening emergency.
EAAA’s Dr Drew and Critical Care Paramedic Tim recognised that Cathryn needed a pre-hospital emergency anaesthetic to control her ventilation and to provide neuroprotection. These advanced critical care interventions were performed at the scene. The decision was then taken by the crew to airlift Cathryn to the Royal London Hospital, which was a Major Trauma Centre and best placed to further treat her life-threatening injuries.
Without the air ambulance, I would not have survived that journey. I had suffered a significant head injury and was in a coma for six weeks.
— Cathryn, former EAAA patient
When Cathryn came around, she recalls looking at the white ceiling of the hospital and not realising the seriousness of her injuries.
“I didn’t have a clue what had happened and, even when my husband told me, it didn’t sink in. I asked why I was in London and assumed he was there to take me home.”
“I couldn’t walk or eat and talking was difficult. I had no hair on the right side of my head; my skull had been cut due to the pressure of my brain swelling.”
Cathryn underwent further surgeries and was in hospital for six months, where she also received intensive rehabilitation every single day, before continuing with community rehabilitation when she returned home, supported by husband James. It has been, and continues to be, a long and challenging road. She has since had more surgery and is awaiting further procedures.
“I no longer use a wheelchair, but I have lots of daily struggles, including fatigue, tremors, seizures, cognitive impairments, and I still get very fatigued, but I now use a gym to build my strength, and I love it. I am getting stronger,” she says.
Arranged by EAAA’s Aftercare team, which offers specialist emotional and practical support to former patients, their friends and family following an incident in which our crews provided care, Cathryn had two visits to EAAA’s Cambridge base. This enabled her to reconnect with Dr Drew, who was one of the EAAA crew who attended her on the day of her incident.
Cathryn explains: “I watched from inside the base as the Anglia Two helicopter came into land. It was quite something. Once it was safe, I was able to go over and see the helicopter close up. I saw the back doors where they crew load the stretcher. I’d never thought about how the stretcher gets in and out! I also sat in the helicopter and realised how small it is inside so it’s amazing how the doctors and paramedics do what they need to do. The crew see us at our worst, so it must also be nice for them to see patients at visits like this.”
Dr Drew said: “The reason why we come to work is for patients like Cathryn. Providing enhanced care at scene and taking patients directly to a specialist brain injury centre improves outcomes. Cathryn has made a remarkable recovery and it’s a privilege to have made a difference.”
Cathryn doesn’t remember much about what happened, so seeing the helicopter and crew helped her to understand the reality and the severity of her incident.
“It hit me like a sledgehammer – and I cried,” she says. “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them. Without support from the public, they can’t do what they do. I never thought I would need an air ambulance – and I can’t thank EAAA enough. I would have died without them.”
