The Power of Aftercare

Stephen suffered a cardiac arrest in 2023. Trained in CPR, Sue immediately started chest compressions, fearful of how long it could take help to arrive as they lived in such a rural location. In the meantime, the Anglia Two (Cambridge) crew from East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) were tasked to assist the East of England Ambulance Service (EEAST). Stephen was taken to hospital. Sadly, despite the best efforts of Sue, EEAST and the EAAA crew, he passed away.

In the days and months that followed, Sue and her family received support from EAAA’s Aftercare team – a dedicated team of clinicians who are available to provide practical and emotional support to those involved in medical emergencies attended by EAAA. This service wouldn’t be possible without the donations and kindness of EAAA supporters. Sue found the phone calls and home visits invaluable in helping her to navigate her grief.

“Lisa, from EAAA’s Aftercare team was so lovely and reassuring from the start that it supported me to grieve in a better way. Lisa showed me the time logs from the day; it only took 11 minutes for an ambulance, and just 15 minutes for the air ambulance to arrive.  I thought Stephen had died straight away, but Lisa helped me to realised that, because of what I did, he had a chance – and because of the CPR I’d performed, Stephen was able to become an organ donor.”

Stephen’s son, Joe, adds: “He was an inspiration to all, and he would do anything for anyone. He was a giver and a great man to the end. But still, he gave more… His liver was donated to a young lady just nineteen years old, and his kidneys went to a seventy-year-old lady and to a lady in her forties.”

Sue even received a letter from one of the recipients. “Lisa gave me the strength to write back. All these little things helped me to chip away at finding a new way forward.”

Sue has since felt able to push forward with a catering business that she and Stephen had planned and has since joined EAAA’s Patient Forum Group – a dedicated group which offers valuable feedback and insights to EAAA’s service. She has also become a volunteer with the charity, helping at flagship fundraising events.

“You never know when you might need the air ambulance. I didn’t realise that it was a charity and dependant on the support of the public. Once they touch your life, you’re hooked.”