NORTHLAND DOUBLE YOUR GIFT CELEBRATING 30 RESCUE DONATIONS MATCHED HELICOPTER Official sponsors will match public donations up to a maximum of $150,000 YEARS wwww.nest.org.nz fb.com/northland.rescuehelicopter The golden hour saves Northland woman A routine knee replacement operation turned into a scary ordeal for 71-year-old i Anne McNamara who ended up gravely ill and in desperate need of an emergency Whangarei, and on arrival, was rushed flight from the Northland Rescue Choppers immediately into surgery. in a bid to save her life The risk of death was so severe that she was immediately flown to Auckland Hospital accompanied by a doctor and nurse from Following her successful knee replacement operation, Anne got up to freshen up for her departure home and remembers it all went downhill from there When I woke up, I looked around and saw some family and then two surgeons came in. One turned to me and said we are the ones who saved your life isn't often you hear that." "I was standing in my ensuite and had just wasn't for that helicopter ride and finished cleaning my teeth when I fel over the speed in which it could get me to backwards and off my crutches. Luckily where I fell was next to the call bell for the frightening really. That helicopter ride nurses, so I rung that and all I remember is saved my life. getting a very violent headache across my forehead," she says. Auckland..." she trails off. "It is quite Recovery wise, everything has been going fine. "I was brought home from Auckland in a ambulance and that was one long ride. It just I remember the nurses coming to help me and my sister and friend were there as they had been coming to collect me, but I was confused when they came, and that is the last I remember. It all went black from there." Rushed to Whangarei Hospital via ambulance, Anne was placed into an induced coma and underwent extensive tests including a CT scan which showed a subdural bleed eyshows how much time the choppers save. Anne says she encourages people to donate to the helicopters, and take a moment to realise how important this service is in Northland. "All of our family donate to the choppers. We need this service - it saves lives and it saved mine." Official Rescue Helicopter Sponsors Northpower TOPENERGY