Helipad patient Sue Gould supports the HELP Appeal
I was born and bred in Ipstones, growing up on our family dairy farm. From a very young age, I was helping my dad, starting with feeding calves and working with the cows, and as soon as I was old enough, I was driving tractors too. I’ve always been hands-on; whether it was putting up stock fencing, cleaning sheds, milking cows or feeding livestock – it’s simply in my blood.
I must have been slightly mad, because I went on to marry another dairy farmer who is also from Ipstones! Farm life continued just as busy. I’ve always played an active role from calving, feeding and milking cows, to driving tractors and of course, dealing with all the paperwork that comes with it.
The day everything changed
One Sunday in September started as a perfect autumn day with warm sunshine, blue skies, just beautiful. At around 3:30pm, I set off to Winkhill with a bucket of corn to check our heavily pregnant cows enjoying a rest before giving birth. I noticed that three of them were close to calving, so I rang my son Jack, who was back home, and asked him to bring the tractor and trailer.
While I waited, I enjoyed the sunshine, watching the cows and taking photos of some of my favourites.
I managed to get the three cows into the loading pen on my own, and eventually Jack arrived. We loaded them up and headed home. I remember feeling proud that I’d managed it myself and relieved they were safely back, ready to calve.
The accident
What happened next was a complete freak accident, as I was run over by the front wheel of our 6-tonne tractor.
The tractor ran over my left foot, upwards and over my hip, to halfway up my back – the pain and shock were unimaginable. My son Jack initially thought he had killed me, immediately dialling 999. When the emergency services heard “run over by a tractor,” they knew it was potentially life-threatening.
For me everything after that was a blur, although I do remember being aware of the two air ambulances landing in the field beside me and a critical care car arriving. There were medics everywhere, I especially remember one lady Faye, she was one of the first on the scene and was incredible. An ambulance did arrive later, as the direction they had come from had taken longer due to the road closure. This is another reason why I’ll always be thankful for the Air Ambulance, it wasn’t just vital for speed but the road towards Stoke via Froghall was closed at the time, which would have resulted in a long, difficult journey by road. Instead, I was flown to Royal Stoke Hospital in minutes, with a quick transfer treatment.
My injuries and recovery
In the A&E department, I was told how incredibly lucky I was. Despite the severity of the accident, and whilst my injuries were significant, they were not life-threatening. but they could not whether I would be able to walk again. I suffered a fractured hip, with acute soft tissue damage.
I spent six weeks in hospital, before finally being discharged home, where District Nurses continued my care.
I’m still recovering with most wounds having healed, but one still requires dressing changes twice a week. I still experience hip pain and my scars remain sore. But I can walk and for that, I’m incredibly grateful.
I returned to work at the end of April, although only for a few hours at a time. The professionals tell me I’m doing well, but it’s still frustrating. That said, I remind myself every day how lucky I am to still be here.
Why the HELP Appeal matters so much
I never imagined I would need an air ambulance or one of their critical care cars which the HELP Appeal funds. Like many people I thought it was something that happened to others. How wrong I was! The truth is, any of us could need one at any time, in any place. So from the very early days after my accident, I knew I wanted to give something back.
Supporting the HELP Appeal
As soon as I heard about the Tissington Trail, I knew this was my opportunity to take on a sponsored walk to raise funds for the HELP Appeal, which not only funds helipads at our Major Trauma Centres and A&E hospitals, but also supports air ambulance services by funding their critical care cars, bases and medical equipment across Britain.
Accidents don’t just happen close to home, they can happen anywhere and when they do, every second counts.
I honestly can’t think of a single reason why anyone wouldn’t want to support the HELP Appeal, it’s such an essential charity.
If you’re able to donate or support me in any way, I would be truly grateful.
Your support will help to ensure this life-saving funding will be able to support everyone across the UK – just like they were for me.
