Amy G's Story

It was a glorious day in May when Amy, 31, decided to take on her first ever hike with friends.

The group set off to climb Benn Rinnes in Moray. After enjoying the “absolutely stunning” views from the summit, Amy was a mile away from the car park when she heard her ankle snap on loose gravel.

She had in fact fractured and dislocated her left ankle.

“My friends put their bags underneath my ankle to keep it elevated and phoned for emergency help,” Amy reflects.

“I was in complete shock. I think I was very lucky that the bone didn’t pierce through the skin. I couldn’t move from the spot because of the position the ankle was in…I knew it was in a bad state.”

Paramedics from a road ambulance were able to walk up to reach Amy. Due to the nature of her injuries, the fairly inaccessible area, and the difficulty in moving Amy, the decision was called to request air ambulance support.

Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA) was tasked from its Aberdeen base. SCAA crew were able to land close to the scene and worked with Scottish Ambulance Service colleagues to stabilise Amy’s injured leg before packaging her into the awaiting helicopter.

“I was so relieved to know I wouldn’t have to endure an uncomfortable two-hour road journey to hospital,” Amy highlights.

“From memory the flight to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary took around half an hour – it felt really quick.

“The SCAA paramedics gave me pain medication and cushioned my ankle in an inflatable splint. I was very teary and the paramedics kept checking on me to help make sure I was okay. They were constantly reassuring me.”

Amy was swiftly transferred to A&E where the extent of the damage to her ankle was confirmed and soon thereafter, she received internal fixation surgery. This resulted in metal components including plates and rods being used to put her ankle into a stable alignment for it to heal.

She returned to her home in Buckie in a cast and crutches and was told not to put weight on the ankle for eight weeks.

A year after shattering her ankle on her first hiking experience, Amy – despite still experiencing “a few niggles” – decided to take on SCAA’s 100 Miles in May challenge.

“I’ve always been a walker,” Amy explains. “I took on this challenge to push myself to try to get back to normality while also being able to give back to the charity and service that helped me.

“The crew were amazing at looking after me and really comforting. I am truly grateful that we have such a vital service available because you never know when you will need them.”