Dad saved by Essex & Herts Air Ambulance says thank you and urges people to give what they can.

Daniel Goodall, 31, from Braintree is thanking the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance as he celebrates Father’s Day this year (21 June) – a day he would never have got to experience were it not for the life-saving efforts of the air ambulance crew.

Daniel is urging people to give what they can to support the charity and keep its helicopters flying so others can get help when they need it most and celebrate days like Father’s Day.

In October 2022, Daniel’s car veered off the road and collided with a tree. Responding to the call, the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance team quickly assessed that Daniel had suffered a traumatic brain injury. With his condition critical, they performed an emergency anaesthetic at the scene to stabilise him before transferring him to the Royal London Hospital.

Due to the severity of his injuries, Daniel was placed in an induced coma and spent two months in intensive care. The medical team closely monitored his condition while his family held onto hope through those months of uncertainty. Daniel also battled a collapsed lung and sepsis, yet every step of his recovery felt like a small victory.

After months of intensive care, Daniel had to relearn many aspects of daily life – regaining the ability to walk and speak. It took months before he was able to go home but the most significant moment of his recovery came just one year after the accident when he celebrated the birth of his son Henry.

Daniel commented: “It’s so important for me to say thank you. Without their quick response, I wouldn’t be here today, and I wouldn’t have the chance to be a dad. I think of that every Father’s Day I get to spend with my son. Being here to watch Henry grow is something I didn’t think would happen. Every day with him feels like a second chance, and I can’t thank everyone enough—my family, the medical teams, and everyone who’s helped me along the way.”

Brain injuries like Daniel’s are a major focus for the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance, which continually invests in research, innovation and education through its Centre for Excellence to improve patient care. From breakthrough research to new specialist equipment like the pupillometers now carried on board – handheld devices that give an instant, objective reading of how a patient’s pupils respond to light helping teams make more informed decisions at the roadside.

Clinical Academic Fellow Laurie Phillipson, who is leading research into the early detection of brain trauma for Essex & Herts Air Ambulance’s Centre for Excellence and has been a critical care paramedic for more than 20 years said:

“Stories like Daniel’s are what get us up and on shift every day. What happens in those first few moments at the roadside can make all the difference to a patient’s long-term outcomes. We are constantly looking at how we can improve care for patients who suffer head injuries”.

Alice Kershberg, who leads the Patient & Family Liaison Team at Essex & Herts Air Ambulance has supported Daniel and his family since the incident:

“Helping Daniel and his family get to this point where he can celebrate with his son means so much. As the patient and family liaison team we pick up after the crew have done their job at the roadside – whether its sitting with a patient in rehab or arranging a visit to the base so a patient can meet the crew and fill gaps in their memory. Our focus is on being there for people on that long road to recovery”.

To find out more about the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance or to donate, please visit ehaat.org