TLC has launched into the skies over Bedfordshire and the East of England after being taken up by Magpas Air Ambulance. At times of trauma, something as simple as a teddy can really keep young children calm.
Magpas only attend the most seriously ill or injured people in the region and keeping young patients and witnesses calm is a great help to their doctors and critical care paramedics. Daryl Brown MBE, Chief Executive at Magpas Air Ambulance said:
We’re excited to be one of the first air ambulance services to take part in the Teddies for Loving Care scheme. Last year, Magpas Air Ambulance attended one critically ill child a week on average, and our clinicians’ work really hard to provide these children with the best possible care in really difficult circumstances. Having the TLC teddies to hand will help our doctors and paramedics give these children some extra comfort and something to cuddle while we treat them or a close member of their family
Someone who knows how crucial the care Magpas provides is Edie who was one of the first children to receive a bear. At the age of 9, Edie suffered such severe breathing difficulties that her mum, Claire, couldn’t wake her up. Claire explained:
Thanks to the excellent care Edie received from the Magpas team, she did really well and was home the next day. Edie has Rett syndrome which in itself brings many challenges. I honestly think if it wasn’t for the Air Ambulance team coming and giving her specialist antibiotics before we left for the hospital, it may have been a very different story
Tony Henderson, the head of Bedfordshire Freemasons, told us:
We have distributed over 29,000 teddies to Bedford and Luton A&E departments, and it’s great to know the Magpas Air Ambulance crew now have the TLC teddies as part of their kit
Magpas Air Ambulance is the oldest emergency medical charity of its kind, and since 1971 they’ve treated over 60,000 patients. They are also the Air Ambulance service most likely to attend a Bedfordshire incident.
