Schoolboy Raises Over £1,800 in Memory of His Dad

A brave five-year-old schoolboy has presented the Wales Air Ambulance with cheque of over £1,800 in memory of his father who tragically died last year.

Calan-James Rees, from Ammanford, climbed Pen y Fan on the first anniversary of his dad, Sam Rees’ death in August. Sam died following an off-road motorcycle accident in Tairgwaith. 

The Ysgol Gwaun Cae Gurwen pupil was joined by his mother Gemma Lewis and around 30 family members, on the climb up the highest peak in South Wales, which is situated in the Brecon Beacons National Park. Calan-James completed the fundraiser in just 1 hour and 21 minutes in aid of the charity. 

The family took Sam’s memory teddy bear, which was made from his pyjamas and has some of Sam’s ashes in the belly, with them on the climb up Pen y Fan. 

Calan-James was delighted to present the cheque to the charity at a recent airbase visit at the Wales Air Ambulance’s headquarters in Llanelli. They were also joined by Calan-James’ auntie, Rachel, and cousin Koby.

A delighted Gemma said: “We absolutely loved our base visit it really was more of an eye opener to what incredible, dedication, love and support our heroes put into every patient in need. We absolutely loved our day at the base, our heroes don’t get enough credit and we couldn’t thank them enough. 

“We are so thankful and grateful for all the support and love our community put into helping us raise the money for an amazing cause!”

Wales Air Ambulance offers advanced critical care and is often described as a ‘Flying ED’. The on-board consultants and critical care practitioners are highly skilled and carry some of the most pioneering medical equipment in the world. They can deliver blood transfusions, administer anaesthesia and undertake emergency operations at the scene of the incident, before flying the patient directly to specialist care.  

Ysgol Gwaun Cae Gurwen also showed their support to its pupil Calan-James by raising £100 towards his fundraiser by having an in house sponsored walk around the school. 

Katie Macro, Wales Air Ambulance’s campaigns manager, said: “Calan-James and Gemma have raised a fantastic £1,879 for the charity in memory of their much-loved father and partner, Sam. Despite the pain the family are going through, they wanted to help raise funds so our medics could be there for the people of Wales when they need us most, which is inspirational. We are very grateful for this donation raised by the family. Calan-James is a delightful boy, and he should be immensely proud of what he has achieved at such a young age.”

There are several ways that the public can continue to support the Wales Air Ambulance. These include online donations, signing up to the Charity’s Lifesaving Lottery or by coming up with their own innovative ways to fundraise at home. Further information can be found via www.walesairambulance.com. 

Alternatively, a £5 text-message donation can be made by texting the word HELI to 70711. 

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Images

Calan-James, Koby and Gemma with staff at the Dafen base, Llanelli.

Gemma Lewis, Koby, Calan-James and Rachel.

Notes to Editors

For more information, please call Lisa Wilson on 07921 810513 or email media@walesairambulance.com    

   

WAAC is the all-Wales charity which provides vital 24/7 emergency air cover for those who face life-threatening illness or injuries. It is the only air ambulance charity based in and dedicated to Wales.    

   

WAAC has carried out more than 37,000 missions to date since its launch on St David’s Day 2001.    

   

The charity also runs the specialist Children’s Wales Air Ambulance, airlifting around 400 children a year from life-threatening emergencies or to children’s hospitals across the UK. It has the most advanced flight incubators in the UK.   

   

WAAC has airbases in Llanelli, Caernarfon, Welshpool and Cardiff.     

   

WAAC can greatly improve a patient’s survival and early recovery with its fast response times and ability to reach difficult locations, along with the provision of critical care on scene. Wales Air Ambulance flies the A&E department to the patient, before airlifting patients to the most appropriate hospital for their illness or injury.   

   

WAAC relies on charitable donations to raise £8 million each year to keep the helicopters flying for Wales. The charity does not receive funding from the National Lottery or direct funding from the government.   

   

WAAC works in partnership with NHS Wales, who provide critical care consultants and practitioners through the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS Cymru). This means patients can receive advanced treatments before reaching hospital, including blood transfusions and anaesthesia. 

Registered charity number 1083645.