Staff from Evelina London Children’s Hospital have swum the English Channel to raise money for sick children – encountering killer whales in the process.
Six members of the South Thames Retrieval Service (STRS), who go all over south-east England to bring sick children to hospital in special ambulances, crossed the Channel this month, taking it in turns to swim an hour at a time. The team swam more than 22.5 miles over fifteen hours.
Dr Michael Carter, who started the swim at 12.30am, called it “a great team effort”.
“Starting at that time in the pitch black was definitely unnerving and extremely cold, but there was never any doubt we’d finish,” he said.
“When caring for children in need, we do everything that we possibly can, and we brought that same attitude to finishing this swim. Even in the cold and dark, we knew we could do it.”
When they were not swimming the six team members waited on a support boat that crossed the channel with them. During one of Dr Carter’s three swims, his teammates noticed a pair of orcas (killer whales) 100 metres away. The killer whales dived, swimming under Dr Carter and the boat and coming up on the other side.
He said: “As I was swimming I was oblivious to the orcas, but watching the videos the others took from the boat has added something even more special to such an amazing experience.”
Jo Davies, a retrieval nurse practitioner with STRS, added: “The support we’ve had has been so incredible and I’d like to thank everyone who has donated so far. In particular, the messages of support we have received from parents of children that we have cared for has been truly phenomenal and such a boost the entire team.”
Another Channel swim is planned in September. STRS work with the Children’s Air Ambulance and will split the money they raise from both swims between the two organisations.
Four-week-old baby Brandii-Leigh O’Neil benefited from the teamwork of STRS and the Children’s Air Ambulance. She contracted RSV, a respiratory virus which meant she regularly stopped breathing for up to eleven seconds.
Brandii-Leigh was in her local hospital in Hastings, but her condition was getting worse. STRS contacted the Children’s Air Ambulance to fly from Oxford and pick them up from STRS Battersea Heliport. They then flew to Hastings to collect Brandii-Leigh.
The journey from Hastings back to Battersea took just 36 minutes, when it would have taken more than two hours on the road. When they arrived an STRS ambulance with life-saving equipment was waiting to take Brandii-Leigh to Evelina London.
At Eveline London doctors kept Brandii-Leigh in intensive care on a ventilator. After four days, she was able to breathe on her own and was well enough to be driven home with her mother. Now 18 months old, Brandii-Leigh is a happy, active toddler.
Samantha said: “Luckily for us, it was a happy ending for Brandii-Leigh. Thanks to the Children’s Air Ambulance she got the care she needed as it wasn’t available at our local hospital. Everything happened so quickly and was so well organised. The helicopter crew and STRS team were all so reassuring. I felt as though we were in the best hands possible.”
Kristina Johnson, Special Events Manager at the Children’s Air Ambulance said: “On behalf of the charity, I would like to say a huge congratulations and thank you to the Evelina STaRfiSh team for their Channel Swim – they are an amazing group of NHS heroes who came together to help raise money for such worthy causes.”
“The dedication and commitment to training that the team put into this challenge is sensational – especially with the difficulties they have faced during the current climate.”
“Their belief and support of our charity and Evelina London is inspirational, and combined with the other team, a great amount has already been raised.”
More than 13,000 has been raised so far but the swimmers want to raise £60,000.
To donate visit: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/Team/STaRfiSh