A TRACTOR club’s rally raised almost £900 for the air ambulance service that saved the lives of a dale father and his two children.
Hamsterley and District Tractor Club has been raising cash regularly for the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) ever since they airlifted Darren Handyside and his children, Jack and Sophie, when they were involved in an horrific car crash near Staindrop in 2012.
Joe Dobson, from the tractor club, along with David Armstrong, were among the first to arrive at the scene of the smash.
Mr Dobson said: “David cottoned on first who the car belonged to. We nursed them as best we could. I was nursing Sophie and David was looking after Jack before the paramedic arrived. He was absolutely amazing.”
He added that three helicopters attended the scene, with the two from GNAAS taking Jack and Sophie to Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) and one from the Yorkshire Air Ambulance Service lifting their father to James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough.
The children’s mum, Julie Elstob, said: “GNAAS got them to the RVI for life-saving treatment where Jack spent 15 weeks and Sophie four weeks, both side-by-side in intensive care.
“Jack and Sophie have both acquired brain injuries since the accident and now need support.”
In recognition of air ambulance service’s actions that day, the tractor club hosted a rally last month which attracted a huge entry of 61 vintage and classic machines and travelled through Copley, Crag Top, Langley, Kinninvie, Barnard Castle, Westwick, Whorlton, Newsham, West Gilling and Selaby.
Some £875 was raised by the event with the cash being handed over to Jack Handyside during another tractor fun run from High Lands on May 1. That cash will be added to money already raised by Jack during his own fundraising event in March.
His mum said: “Jack completed the ‘Race to the Base’ challenge alongside his occupational therapist and case manager, raising altogether £2,809 including the great amount raised by the tractor run. The GNAAS will always be our charity to support as a family – we owe them so much and we will be forever grateful for their service on that life-changing day.”
During his fundraiser Jack walked more than 23 miles in aid of GNAAS.
He said: “They are very important. They are the people who saved my life, and my sister and my dad.”
