A professional golfer was left in a coma after suffering horrific burns to more than half of her body when a bonfire exploded. Aimee Sawyer, 28, received third-degree burns in the freak accident and needed to be airlifted to hospital.
Aimee had to be resuscitated on the flight and spent five weeks in a medically-induced coma. She was told she may never play golf again as her limbs also suffered burns.
But her "strong spirit" saw her make a miraculous recovery, and two years on from the incident she was reunited with some of the "heroic" medics who saved her life. Since the accident she has raised more than £5,000 for the Welsh Centre for Burns and Plastic Surgery at Morriston Hospital in Swansea.
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"My emotions run so deep. I can't explain or emphasise the amount that I feel, the gratefulness inside of me is now imprinted on my skin forever," said Aimee. "I can never forget what they have done. I will always carry what they have given me, the scars that have formed are telling a story in which we survived together.
"From the start of my arrival, I was given so much encouragement to believe in their medical expertise despite all of me saying no, because the fear ran so deep. Despite the trauma I endured, and the injuries I suffered, I was still given so much hope. The support system and care from the team is what gave me the desired strength to fight even harder. They didn't give up on me so I never gave up on them.
"They helped me through the hardest time to enable me to get back on my feet. Without their care I wouldn't have gained the ability to strive again in life and become hungry for more."
Aimee and her older brother Darol, 30, were clearing rubbish from the back garden when their parents were on holiday in August 2020. Darol told MirrorOnline : "Unfortunately we put petrol on the fire and once Aimee lit the bonfire it exploded in her face.
"I turned around and she was engulfed in the fire, a box had blown out onto her covering her arm. I pulled her away and quickly got her in the shower to put the flames out. One of the neighbours had heard the explosion and called emergency services. In a blur paramedics, the fire brigade and an air ambulance came."
Darol continued: "I got a call at around 9.15pm from Aimee to say they were going to put her into a coma and that she might not wake up, that this might be her last call. It was so shocking, it's hard to describe, it was something we had done countless times, absolutely countless times with no problems."
Aimee, from Midsomer Norton near Bath, was airlifted to Southmead Hospital in Bristol before being transferred to Morriston Hospital for specialist burns treatment. She underwent multiple surgeries to clear her wounds, skin grafts were taken from her back and stomach (the only unaffected skin left on her body), and a tracheotomy was fitted as her vocal cords had been damaged.. During this period, she also suffered other complications such as sepsis, a chest infection and fluid on the lungs.
Due to Covid restrictions at the time, Aimee not only had to survive and process what had happened to her, she had to face it alone. But she said the staff on the Tempest Ward at Morriston were "amazing" and would take daily phone calls from her family to keep them updated on any changes during her stay.
When Aimee was woken up from her coma she was still critically unwell and required dressing changes and chest physio before starting her rehabilitation. When she came round she asked if she was dead and if she was going to die. She also thought she had Covid because she saw the tubes surrounding her and her parents weren't allowed to visit.
Aimee added: "I'd want other people to understand that they are stronger than they think they are, as that is what I found out about myself. I've always been an all or nothing type of person so to be faced with a challenge where your only option is to be strong meant that is exactly what I did."
Aimee said she had dreams in her coma and added: "Each one was like a life or death situation and I was fighting to stay alive in them. I could see that everyone who loved me was hurt too, they were injured by what had happened so I wanted to recover for them too.
"I'm very lucky that I have such a strong foundation - such a strong loving family behind me, I'm luckier than most. I couldn't have done it without them, I wouldn't be here without them. There were times when I had to be brutally honest with them about how I was dealing with it mentally and they were able to help me and keep me going."
Aimee said it was her love of golf that helped keep her going. The player has represented her county since she was 19 and has played in the Irish Ladies Open, Scottish Championships, English Women's amateur open and has held a handicap of plus 2.
She added: "It may sound corny but golf is a part of my soul, I absolutely love it and it kept me going. It is my sanctuary, my paradise. When I picked up a club again I cried my eyes out, I could hit the same distance - it was still there."
Now, having rebuilt her life, Aimee, her family and friends have raised £5,385 for the ward on which she was treated. She said her wish is for the money to be used to treat all of the staff in the unit to a meal out to maintain their wellbeing.
She said: "They cared about me, they cared about us, and now we care about our heroes, because we are human after all, they are not hidden to us. We are so fortunate to have these services where they can provide such good care and give life back to someone, from their years of hard work.
"They put 100% in, they even supported my family through truthful hard phone calls, of honesty. Keeping them informed twice a day and always letting them know if something was going on. They are friendly, empathetic staff, and I am aware we are human beings so this must take a toll on them. Therefore the money is for the staff. The team needs to be cared for too."
Darol, who grew his hair throughout lockdown, played a lead role in the fundraising by having his head shaved on the first anniversary of Aimee's accident. He said: "The care given by the Tempest Ward along with Aimee’s incredible spirit and strength, are the reasons that Aimee is alive today. We hope this will support them to continue their great work and to keep saving lives."
Susan Salerno, ward manager, said: "It has been wonderful to see how well Aimee has progressed since her accident. A major burn is recognised as one of the biggest traumas that the body and mind can endure.
"We would like to thank Aimee, her family and friends, who have taken so much time and trouble to raise money for the burns centre and her kind words to our team. Our staff will be encouraged to continue our endeavours to pursue the best outcome for our patients who endure such a physical and psychological battle to overcome such a traumatic life-changing injury.
Cathy Snell, a fundraising officer for Swansea Bay Health Charity, said: "We are in awe of Aimee’s strength and determination in her recovery and this huge donation shows her true strength. The amount raised by Aimee and her family and friends is incredible and will have a huge impact on patients and staff on the ward. Well done Aimee."
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