Abseiling for Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance

A Lincolnshire woman who has been airlifted by the Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance (LNAA) twice is abseiling 80ft from a bridge to raise money for the charity.

Hayley Rylott, 27, was thrown through the windscreen of a car after the driver fell asleep at the wheel as they drove along the A52 near Donington in 1998. Hayley was just four-years-old.

When emergency services arrived on scene, they didn’t know that a child was involved in the crash as Hayley had landed in a field and the driver was unconscious. As the driver came round, they began shouting for Hayley.

LNAA arrived on scene and flew Hayley to Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham. There were no visible marks on her body but she had suffered a serious brain injury. Hayley’s mum Helen said that she was told Hayley might never walk and talk again.

Since then, Hayley, who lives in Lincolnshire, has had full time help from a team of physiotherapists and support from her sister Jane, brother Timmy and her niece and nephews, Louise, Ronnie and Hunter.

Hayley said: “I can’t do natural things like other people can and I can’t work because I get very tired easily.

“I didn’t even break anything in the accident, it was the brain injury and my left-hand side.”

“If it hadn’t been for the Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance I wouldn’t be here now.”

During her teenage years, Hayley, completed an NVQ in horse care as part of her physiotherapy and she has two horses, Neo and Danny. But this then led to Hayley’s second airlift in 2015 when she was thrown from one of the horses. Her right arm was injured and because of the location, her age and her history, LNAA were called. Luckily, this time, it wasn’t as serious.

“I didn’t let it stop me riding, said Hayley.”

Hayley’s mum Helen added: “It terrifies me when she goes out with the horses but Hayley doesn’t give in. She proves to herself that she can do things.”

Hayley is taking on the abseil challenge with her rehab team.

Hayley Rylott