A woman whose life hung in the balance after a horrific car crash has been reunited with the doctor who kept her alive at the scene.
Samantha Hall, 26, from Chilton in County Durham, was trapped in her smashed up vehicle after a collision on the A167 near Newton Aycliffe on July 15, 2019 - with two air ambulances and a host of emergency services attending the scene.
Doctor Chris Smith, with Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS), sprung into action as Samantha’s condition worsened when she was eventually cut free.
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“She needed urgent advanced treatment on scene otherwise she wasn’t going to survive,” said Dr Smith.
“We gave her a blood transfusion and put her into a medically induced coma, which means we took over her breathing by placing her on a ventilator to prevent any potential brain injury from getting worse, before airlifting her to hospital in seven minutes.”
Samantha went into intensive care at James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, where she stayed for nearly three months as she began recovering from her tragic injuries affecting much of the right side of her body.
She suffered a broken tibia, fibula fractures, oblique fractures, abdominal lacerations, a fractured neck, and needed her pelvis rebuilt with bolts, and an x-cage put on her leg.
“I’ve got bits of shrapnel from the car in my arm, you can actually feel it, it’s gross. My knee was also split open, there was no break or fracture, but there’s a big scar around my knee,” said Samantha, reflecting on her long recovery.
“It’s the one scar. I’ve not been able to really come to terms with, I’m alright with the rest now, it’s just that one.”
Samantha, a drama coach, had to learn to walk again and was spurred on by two things: her close friend Kim and tickets to see her favourite band, McFly.
“Kim was at the hospital almost every day and she moved her and her kids around the corner from my parents ready for when I got out of hospital,” Samantha said.
“Kim and her kids, Makayla and Millie, were there every day and the kids loved to help clean the pins on my cage and help organise my medical supplies. Not only did Kim help me get back on my feet, she was a huge help to my parents and sister, especially my mam. I can’t thank her or the girls enough.”
And now, Samantha, her parents Anne and Mick, and fiance Michael met up with Dr Smith to show their gratitude - ahead of Samantha and Michael’s wedding next year.
“Chris was the guy who came to see me in the waiting room and I remember him sitting and talking to me and saying she’s in the right place,” said mam Anne. “He’s that person who has been there from the very beginning, so to see him again has given us a bit of closure.
“If that service had not been available, it would have been a totally different story. We’re forever grateful.”
Samantha added: “It was pretty amazing to be able to meet him properly and hear more about what happened at the scene. The service that GNAAS provides is incredible and I didn’t realise how close I was to not being here. Thank you will never be enough.”
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