Debbie’s Story

As an avid viewer of Cornwall Air 999, grandmother Debbie Pascoe never thought she would need the help of Cornwall Air Ambulance herself until she suffered an open compound fracture.

On the 1^st August 2023, Debbie was heading downstairs in her three-storey home in St Columb Major when she slipped, hitting the corner and landing at the bottom of the stairs.

Debbie’s husband and daughter rushed to help and called 999.

“I looked down at my foot and thought that doesn’t look right”, said Debbie. “It was facing the wrong way”.

Debbie had suffered an open compound fracture to her left ankle. Cornwall Air Ambulance was tasked to the scene, with Critical Care Paramedics Paul Maskell and Jeremy Griffiths attending on a Rapid Response Vehicle.

The crew administered ketamine as pain relief for Debbie so they could stabilise her leg. She was conveyed by road to Derriford Hospital where she underwent surgery and remained for five days. Debbie has since recovered well and remarkably the incident has eased the long-term sciatica in her back.

Two weeks after the incident Debbie popped into the airbase to say thank you, and has since visited again to meet Paul and Jeremy properly.

Debbie said: “It sounds a bit silly, but I’ve always said if ever I was in need of anybody, I would want Paul and Jeremy to come to my rescue, never in a million years thinking that I would need that help.

“I had three heroes looking after me that evening, my daughter Sherrie, Paul and Jeremy, and I’m just so thankful.

“The speed, I know we only live six or seven minutes down the road, but it was very quick. I’m just so thankful. The job that they did was truly amazing, and I think it made all the difference with the speed that they got to me, I was bleeding quite a bit.

“If we didn’t have that service here, I don’t know what anybody would do.”