Wife of man badly injured on farm pays tribute to Air Ambulance crew

A FIVEMILETOWN father-of-two who seriously injured his spine in a farming accident last September is now well on the road to recovery, thanks to the expert intervention of the Air Ambulance NI team.

Self-employed lorry driver, Johnny Wigham, was doing some work using a forklift truck on his family farm at midday on Sunday, September 26, 2021, when it toppled over in the yard, causing his body to hurtle around the inside of the vehicle.

Johnny’s sister and her husband saw the incident unfolding from their house across the field and ran over to assist him, while his wife Donna phoned the emergency services.

Johnny, meanwhile, managed to free himself from the vehicle, but he sustained four broken bones in his lumbar spine.

Due to his injuries, crews from the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS), the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) and the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) were all dispatched to the scene.

The air ambulance was able to land beside the farm and the HEMS consultant doctor and paramedic began working with their NIAS colleagues to treat him at the scene.

When Johnny was in a stable condition, they transported him to the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast in a journey time of around 20 minutes.

His wife Donna said, “All of the emergency services who attended were fantastic. The airdesk paramedic spoke to me on the phone with such ease and compassion and from the moment the Air Ambulance landed the care provided was second to none.

“The doctor and paramedic immediately went about their job and calmed the whole situation down. They knew instantly upon examination that something wasn’t right and swiftly decided that airlifting Johnny to Royal Victoria Hospital was the best option.

“It’s a service that none of us wish to require but when it is needed it is undoubtedly the quickest and most efficient.

“Without the intervention of the Air Ambulance NI team, the road to recovery would be an even more long-winded one than we are on but due to the immense knowledge and professionalism, Johnny is well on the road to recovery.”

Just six weeks after his accident, Johnny, Donna and their two sons visited the Air Ambulance NI base where they met members of the charity and HEMS team.

After witnessing the care provided to her husband at the scene that day, Donna signed up to become a Club AANI member. The unique membership allows supporters to donate a small amount to the charity each month to keep the helicopter flying to people like Johnny when they need emergency pre-hospital care.

The charity Air Ambulance Northern Ireland works in partnership with the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service to provide the HEMS. The service brings urgent medical assistance to anywhere in the province, operating seven days a week for 12 hours per day. It can get to anywhere in Northern Ireland in approximately twenty-five minutes.

Air Ambulance NI hopes to raise £2m each year to sustain and develop this service and public support is crucial. Adults and children can join the charity’s membership initiative, Club AANI, by visiting www.airambulanceni.org or calling 028 9262 2677.