A teenager who sustained a traumatic brain injury after a quad bike crash has been reunited with the medics who came to his aid.
Callum McDougall was working on a game shooting estate on the outskirts of Kirkcudbright when the accident happened last July.
The badly injured teenager was airlifted to hospital in Glasgow by the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS).
Callum, now 15, can’t recall the crash but remembers everything leading up to it.
He said: “I was working on the estate and bringing in the drinkers to wash them, so the pheasants could have a drink.
“I remember spinning round on the quad bike and then I was out.”
Mum Amy Woodrow was at home in Kirkcudbright after dropping Callum off at work when she spotted the helicopter.
She said: “I was tidying the house and I was just about to put the last of my rubbish out in the wheelie bin at the front door, and a helicopter flew over the house, which you don’t see many of in our area.
“Within an hour the police came down the path and said, ‘your son has been in an accident’ and it dawned on me that the helicopter was actually for him.”
The GNAAS, based at Langwathby in Cumbria, rushed to the accident scene on the A711 at Mutehill.
Dr Mark Byers from the service, said: “It was evident that Callum had sustained a significant injury so, to prevent it from getting any worse, we put him in a medically induced coma on the roadside. This can only be safely performed outside of a hospital by a doctor and critical care paramedic.
“We then flew him to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, from where he was then transferred to the Royal Hospital for Children.”
Callum had suffered a traumatic brain injury and the following day he underwent a decompressive craniectomy, a procedure which involves removing part of the skull to reduce the pressure on his brain.
He initially spent two months in hospital, but unfortunately, the removed bone got infected during this time, so instead of being reattached to his skull, he recently had a titanium plate fitted in his head.
He also sustained an injury to his leg, a spinal fracture, partial hearing loss and lost his sense of smell.
Callum said: “I’ve got a bit of short-term memory loss and I feel a bit fatigued so I’m not a hundred per cent but I’m getting better every day and I’ve already been back on a quad bike.”
Callum and his family recently visited GNAAS’ base and met the critical care team which came to his aid.
Amy said: “I’m so pleased we got to meet and shake the hands of the men that got Callum to hospital. They were so modest and unassuming in regards to the crucial part they played on the day, and in Callum’s words ‘just brilliant’.”
Dr Byers added: “It was great to see Callum doing so well and hear that the incident hasn’t put him off riding quad bikes. I just hope the next time he gets on one he puts his safety first and remembers to wear a helmet.”
GNAAS does not receive government funding and needs to raise £7.7m a year to remain operational.
The charity recently launched its Ready for Anything appeal. To find out more, visit: gna.as/readyforanything
