Patient wins charity lottery jackpot 21 years after being airlifted

A patient who suffered life-changing injuries in a serious road traffic collision has won the Cornwall Air Ambulance Lottery 21 years after she was airlifted.

On 16^th December 2002, Jane Madin was driving home from work in St Austell when she was hit by a driver under the influence of alcohol.

Jane suffered a head injury, a broken jaw, broken sternum, a severe leg injury, a punctured lung, the optical nerves in both her eyes were damaged and the seatbelt had almost severed a main artery in her neck. She had to be cut free from the vehicle by firefighters.

Cornwall Air Ambulance was tasked to the scene, the crew stabilised her and conveyed her to the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro for onward emergency care.

“The first thing I remember my daughter said to me when I woke up was, ‘Mum what do you remember?’ And I thought what’s she talking about”, said Jane. “I didn’t know I’d been in an accident. I said airplane, airplane, all I remembered was the noise of the rotor blades on the helicopter. And that’s all I remember.”

Jane was in an induced coma for three weeks. She underwent numerous surgeries and spent a total of three months in hospital.

Following the incident Jane raised over £10,000 for a specialised Vacuum Assisted Closure (VAC) machine for Treliske, which was used to help heal the wound on her leg.

She has been playing the Cornwall Air Ambulance Lottery for many years and was lucky enough to win the weekly £1,000 jackpot just before Christmas in 2023.

Speaking about the difference the crew made to her outcome, she added: “They helped save my life by getting me quickly to hospital. If they hadn’t of been there, I don’t think I would be alive now. It didn’t take long to get to hospital, with my internal bleeding and injuries, they were absolutely brilliant.”

You can find out more about the Cornwall Air Ambulance Lottery here.