Schoolboy climbs Pen y Fan with medic that saved his life

A courageous schoolboy has climbed Pen y Fan with a medic who helped save his life!

Eleven-year-old Ioan Watts’ life was saved in October 2022, after he suffered a severe traumatic brain injury following an 8ft fall outside his house, which resulted in him landing on his head.

Due to the nature of his injuries, the Wales Air Ambulance dispatched two critical care teams – one by air and one by road. On arrival, Ioan was bleeding from his nose and had some swelling to his head.

The medics worked to save his life before transferring him to the University Hospital of Wales, Neurosurgical and Paediatric Trauma Centre.

One of the medics on board the Wales Air Ambulance that day was Jez James. He said: “Ioan was an incredibly poorly young boy, one of the sickest I’ve come across.

“As part of our role, we are faced with awful situations every day, but I have a son a similar age and this mission has stuck with me. My colleagues and I did all that we could for Ioan, delivering advanced critical care to him in his garden. We knew that we were going to give him the best possible chance of survival but with how poorly he was, we weren’t sure what the outcome would be.”

Ioan spent three weeks in a coma and underwent emergency brain surgery.

Ioan’s mum Lydia said: “After 3 weeks in a coma, and emergency brain surgery, Ioan began his slow recovery, learning to walk, talk and do almost everything he could do before his accident. He worked so hard and after 3 months in hospital, he came home to continue his recovery.”

The eleven-year-old was keen to raise money for the all-Wales Charity and set himself the challenge of climbing the highest peak in South Wales.

Jez, who has been inspired by Ioan’s strength and recovery put on his walking boots to join Ioan and his family to climb Pen y Fan in aid of the Wales Air Ambulance and Child Brain Injury Trust.

Jez said: “Hearing how our past patients get on following treatment is so important to us, and the recovery Ioan has made is remarkable.

“After hearing that he was going to climb Pen y Fan for our Charity, I was keen to find out if I could join the family. At such a young age he has shown remarkable determination, learning to walk and talk again, and I’m just so thankful that we were able to help Ioan when he needed us most.

“It was truly humbling to be able to join Ioan and his family for the climb.”

Lydia said: “Ioan was so excited that Jez was climbing Pen y Fan with us. None of us recognised Jez at all from the day of Ioan’s accident, so it was so lovely to meet him. Jez told us how he was talking to Ioan and supporting his head while he was unconscious.

“It was so kind of Jez to give up his time to come with us. We will never forget him, Tom, Matt and the others, who saved Ioan’s life, and I hope they know how incredibly grateful we are. It’s very difficult to find words enough to express that.

“Ioan started high school yesterday and without the amazing air ambulance crew, he wouldn’t be here for all these firsts.”

The air ambulance service in Wales is delivered via a unique Third Sector and Public Sector partnership. The Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS) supplies highly skilled NHS consultants and critical care practitioners who work on board the Charity’s vehicles.

Wales Air Ambulance is consultant-led, taking hospital-standard treatments to the patient and, if required, transferring them directly to the most appropriate hospital for their illness or injury. For the patient, this can mean hours saved when compared to standard care and is proven to greatly improve survival and early recovery.

Ioan, from Caerphilly, has raised £539 for charity after completing his hike in the Brecon Beacons National Park.

Lydia said: “A traumatic brain injury is a lifelong condition, and the Child Brain Injury Trust have supported Ioan, his family, school and friends throughout this incredibly difficult time. Ioan wanted to say thank you to these two charities by raising as much money as he can!”

This is not the first time that Ioan has raised funds for charity– in July 2023 he set himself the challenge of completing the Caerphilly 2k. He was joined by his younger brother Rhodri and some school friends, and together they raised a fantastic £4,460 in aid of the Wales Air Ambulance and Noah’s Ark.

Ioan has also been reunited with some of the other critical care medics who attended him, and his sense of humour had the team in fits of laughter.

Abi Pearce, Regional Fundraising Manager for the Wales Air Ambulance said: “What a star Ioan is. Ioan was a very poorly child, the crew and his family were unsure whether he would survive or if he would recover – now look at him! It’s amazing that he took on this huge challenge to raise much-needed funds for two important charities, that are close to his heart.

“Ioan has been through so much and is a true inspiration. We were delighted that Jez took on the challenge with Ioan and his family. It meant a lot to Jez to be able to support Ioan on his hike after treating him whilst in a critical condition.

“The Charity needs to raise £11.2 million every year to enable us to provide a 24-hour service, 365 days a year and fundraisers like this one will help us to reach that yearly target. As well as having his life saved by our medics, Ioan, by raising much-needed funds for the Charity you’re also a lifesaver. Thank you so much.”