TROWBRIDGE resident Kevin Eggleton says Wiltshire Air Ambulance helped to save his life when he suffered a life-threatening medical emergency.

Kevin was at home on Saturday, May 25, 2013 when he became very unwell in a matter of minutes.

He was nauseous, dizzy and his speech became confused. His girlfriend called 999 and the ambulance crew who arrived believed he was having a stroke and called for Wiltshire Air Ambulance.

The helicopter landed at Trowbridge Rugby Club, then in Green Lane, and Kevin was loaded inside and flown to the Royal United Hospital, Bath. He was later transferred to Frenchay Hospital in Bristol.

Kevin, of Ryeland Way, had suffered a bleed on the brain and he underwent surgery to relieve the pressure on his brain and at one stage was given a 50/50 chance of survival.

Kevin, 35, recovered and it was more than a year later that doctors discovered that the bleed on the brain had been due to a gene defect. This caused Kevin’s blood vessels to be weaker than normal and one burst at the base of his brain.

The severity of the bleed left Kevin with blurred vision and left-side weakness and as a consequence he was unable to resume his job as a pest control officer and can no longer drive.

Despite this, Kevin is positive about life and to show his gratitude to Wiltshire Air Ambulance he plays the charity’s lottery every month and it is a named beneficiary in his will. He also made a donation for the flight room at the new airbase at Semington, and has donated a photo of himself and his beloved dog, Chip, for the heli mosaic which will be on display there.

Kevin has met Wiltshire Air Ambulance critical care paramedic Jo Munday, one of the crew members who attended him.

He said: “It was great to meet Jo and thank her. I’m extremely thankful to Wiltshire Air Ambulance for getting me to hospital so quickly and along with the staff at Frenchay, it’s no exaggeration to say I owe my life to them.

“I donate to Wiltshire Air Ambulance on a monthly basis which makes me feel I’m giving a little something back to those that helped me and aids them to help others.

“The air ambulance can easily be taken for granted as you truly never know when you may need it – I didn’t, until that Saturday morning. I’m extremely thankful that it was there for me and everyone in Wiltshire is lucky to have such a service.”