Gloucestershire > London
120 miles
Mathieu and Ciara were in the Cotswolds enjoying their last holiday before the arrival of their daughter Clementine, when she was born six weeks early. She was born at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, over 120 miles from their home in North London, and faced a long stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Clementine responded well to the specialist care she was receiving, but the couple knew she wouldn’t be ready to be discharged by the time Mathieu’s paternity leave ended in a few weeks. They were anxious that they would end up being separated, with Mathieu travelling back to London for work and Clementine and Ciara still in the hospital in Gloucestershire. They hoped there would be some way of transferring Clementine to a hospital closer to home, but with a 120-mile distance in between them and their home, it was too risky for Clementine to travel the long distance by road ambulance.
However, Lucy Air Ambulance for Children (Lucy AAC) offered to fly Clementine to London by aeroplane, which would ensure a quick transfer between hospitals that was much safer for Clementine. Ciara and Mathieu were thrilled to have another option for Clementine’s care – one that would mean the whole family could return to London where she could continue her specialist care.
Lucy AAC flew Clementine and Ciara from Gloucestershire Royal Hospital to Whipps Cross Hospital in London. Mathieu travelled home by car and then later met them at the hospital that was just a few miles from their home. Clementine settled in quickly and was discharged soon after her Lucy AAC transfer. Mathieu says:
“Making the transfer of Clemmy possible has been such a relief for our family. Clemmy was born early in Gloucester hospital during our baby moon, far away from her home in London. As you can imagine, being far from home with a premature baby was quite a challenge and we were so delighted when we heard Lucy Air Ambulance took on our case to transfer her to a London hospital. Clementine has now fully recovered and is enjoying her new life at home. Lucy Air Ambulance for Children is driving real-life impact and we are extremely grateful.”
Since Clementine’s transfer, Ciara has completed a Christmas Day swim in the sea in aid of Lucy AAC and raised £800! In addition, Mathieu is currently serving as a Trustee on Lucy AAC’s Board of Trustees. He was the first-ever parent to be on the Board and we are so grateful for his valuable insight into our service and his involvement.
Latest news & events
Our time for growth
Over the next few weeks and months, you will see our charity’s brand evolve from ‘Lucy Air Ambulance for Children’ to ‘Lia’s Wings’. We are going into the next chapter of our charity’s evolution with a new identity and expanded purpose. … Read More
Lia’s Legacy
Over the next few weeks and months, you will see Lucy Air Ambulance for Children’s brand change to celebrate an incredibly special little girl, Emilia Schoennagel, whom the world sadly lost unexpectedly in September 2022. … Read More
Lucy AAC Summer Skydive
‘Take the leap for Lucy! Join us on Tue 18th July at Hinton-in-the-Hedges Airfield in Northamptonshire and experience the thrill of jumping 10,000ft at 120mph by taking part in a tandem skydive for Lucy AAC. … Read More
