Adam’s Story

Adam Cawthray Stern was working on the Isles of Scilly, as he does every summer, when he suffered a sudden anaphylactic shock.

The 24-year-old from Essex has a severe peanut allergy and accidentally ate something which had been contaminated while visiting family at the end of August.

Having dialled 999 Adam was taken by boat from St Martin’s to St Mary’s, where the hospital for the islands is based. It was decided that Adam needed to go to the Royal Cornwall Hospital, on the mainland, and Cornwall Air Ambulance was tasked to the scene.

Adam said: “I was in the land ambulance when the helicopter arrived. I was so impressed by the speed of everything. I felt like I was a massive burden, but they were so lovely and kind to me, and were constantly checking up on me. I was in a pretty delirious state, and when the adrenaline wore off I was really unwell. I was just relieved they got there as quickly as they did and were able to take me where I needed to go.

“Being on such an isolated island, you do worry. But to know the air ambulance was coming to get me was really reassuring.”

The Cornwall Air Ambulance crew took Adam to Treliske Hospital, in Truro, for further treatment.

“I was hooked up to the blood pressure and oxygen level system, and they were constantly checking those. They were monitoring whilst I was on the helicopter to make sure my condition didn’t worsen”, said Adam.

Luckily Adam’s condition was not life-threatening, and he was able to be discharged from hospital later that day.

Adam added: “With an anaphylactic shock there is always the chance that the reaction is going to reoccur six to eight hours after it starts. So had that happened without the air ambulance, I don’t know what the situation would have been. It meant there was no future danger.

“It allows a community like Scilly to go about their lives in the most normal way and know they don’t have to be worried about health concerns, it’s like a safety blanket for them, they are still going to be looked after regardless of how remote they are. The same goes for seasonal workers like me, and holidaymakers, they know they can go to this wonderful place which is remote, but you have the safety of the air ambulance should anything happen to you. It makes a very isolated place a very safe place to live, which I think is really special.”

It costs over £5m a year to keep your helicopter flying and saving lives across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. You can support the charity and help more patients like Adam here: Donate – Cornwall Air Ambulance (cornwallairambulancetrust.org)