Darren Cooper
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Type of Incident - Car Accident
Date of Incident - 7th March 2008
Location - Woking,
“I believe that without the help of this brilliant charity I would
not have been cared for in the same way; as quickly as I was and by the right
specialists.”
On March 7th 2008, Darren Cooper was
airlifted from just outside Woking to
“I was driving to work one day as usual, I
remember leaving for work that morning and the next thing I remember is
waking up in Hospital; it was two days later. I had no idea
where I was or why I was there and I didn't recognise anyone
because my family weren't there so I asked the nurse,
‘where am I?’ she replied ‘King's College Hospital - You had a car accident
Darren.’
Darren has no memory from when he left the house for work that morning. To this
day he can’t remember a single thing about it. He is only able to imagine from
the information given by the emergency services. He has been told his car
veered across the road and hit a tree on the other side. During the incident
his head smashed the steering wheel and he suffered a fractured eye socket and
a fractured skull at the base of the back of the head.
Darren says “I’m just so grateful that nobody else
was involved and that nobody else was injured. My injuries, very serious as
they were, could also have been a lot worse; in fact I could well not be alive
to tell this tale.
“I don't remember much from my two week stay in
Hospital either, I do remember lots of visits from my friends and family and
girlfriend - that was brilliant. I’m very lucky – my mum and brothers have been
very supportive.
Since that accident, Darren is facing life with a
whole new outlook, and has had quite a road to recovery, he says “without the
Surrey Air Ambulance and all the medical crew’s amazing work I may not be
here today. I would certainly not be here in the same good state as I am
now. If I hadn’t been airlifted to the hospital and in the fast time of twelve
minutes I was, I don’t think I would have got the same level of care I got at King's
Darren is now a volunteer for the charity and has
also raised nearly £15,000 for the air ambulance through organising the North
Downs Walk two years running (www.northdownswalk.co.uk).
Now he has registered to run in the 2010 Brighton Marathon “I’m feeling very
fit and well and having had an interest in running in the past, I’d love to
achieve this life-time dream of completing a marathon. I’m humbled by the
charity and that is why I’m choosing to raise funds for it.
The Air Ambulance is amazing – it provides a brilliant and vital service and I
will be forever grateful for their hard work and commitment. It saved my life
in so many ways.
