Molly’s Story

Toddler Molly Martin was just under two years old when she fell 12ft from a window, leaving her at risk of a life-threatening brain injury.

On 6^th June 2021, little Molly was upstairs at home with her cousin when she spotted her dad outside cutting the grass. Trying to reach him, she managed to climb up the radiator and onto the window ledge when she fell out, landing on her head in the garden below.

Mum Jo was downstairs feeding the baby when she heard James screaming, as he ran inside carrying Molly. She had stopped breathing, and Jo carried out chest compressions.

Living just around the corner from the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro, they rushed Molly straight to the emergency department.

At Treliske, Molly was sedated and underwent scans which were sent straight to Bristol Children’s Hospital. Jo and James were told that she was critically ill, and if she survived, she would likely be left with permanent brain damage. Cornwall Air Ambulance was tasked to carry out an inter-hospital transfer to Bristol, which is the region’s major trauma unit for children.

Molly meeting Critical Care Paramedic Martin

Pilot Liv Milles airlifted Molly, with Critical Care Paramedics Martin Bunt and Kris Lethbridge monitoring her vital signs and making sure she was stable in flight. Molly was at Bristol in around 45 minutes, for the specialist onward care that she needed.

Molly was taken straight to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit and put on a ventilator. She had fractured her skull, suffered a bleed on the brain, had damaged an artery and her brain was swelling. Molly was given a blood transfusion, and after three days was moved to the High Dependency Unit where she was given medication to manage the fitting and underwent regular brain scans.

After nine days, Molly was allowed to go back home. She received physio and speech therapy to learn how to walk and talk again. Remarkably, she has been left with no lasting brain injury following her fall. Now almost five years old, she has just completed her first year at school.

Critical Care Paramedic Martin Bunt, Molly, mum Jo, and Doctor Dave Connor

Jo said: “We were told she wouldn’t make it or would be permanently brain damaged. Everybody played their part, Treliske were amazing, there were around 20 people around her, she was in the air within 30 minutes of us getting to hospital.

“Cornwall Air Ambulance made a massive difference, imagine if it took three hours by road and she didn’t get that scan, everything could have been different. The air ambulance got her there quickly so that she could get the care she needed. We were just so thankful that the helicopter was there and available. The crew who picked her up and looked after her were incredible. I don’t know what we would do without it.”

Jo works for Pellows Waste Disposal Services, who through their company’s 60^th anniversary event and a generous extra donation when visiting the airbase, raised £1,654 for Cornwall Air ambulance.

To help Cornwall Air Ambulance respond to more patients like Molly, please donate towards their Heli2 Appeal.