In April this year Fliss Davis from Upton, near Andover, will be running the Virgin London Marathon in order to celebrate the life of her daughter Lily, who was conveyed to Southampton General Hospital by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance (HIOWAA) in 2012.
The night that Fliss received a call from her husband to say that Lily had had a fit, she was collecting items for the Charity Ball that she and her husband were organising in memory of Lily’s brother Harry, who passed away in March 2011.
When she arrived home, the ambulance was in the drive and the doctor and paramedics were working on Lily. The Air Ambulance arrived within 10 minutes and Lily was taken to Southampton General. Sadly, she could not be saved and Lily passed away aged five months and five days.
“The Air Ambulance crew were phenomenal. Their professionalism and dedication trying to save Lily’s life was amazing. They kept us informed all the time as she was airlifted and although Lily did not survive, it was still by far the fastest and most appropriate way to have dealt with the situation” commented Fliss.
The Davis family have received a lot of support from family and friends and in February 2014 their third child was born. A seasoned runner in the past, Fliss has always wanted to run a marathon to raise money for the Air Ambulance, and having recovered from her third c-section, she has had to begin her training from scratch.
She fits her training around being a mother to her two year old daughter Ellie and her full time teaching job at Andover C of E Primary School.
“The Davis family have raised almost £10,000 for HIOWAA in the past and their commitment to the fundraising challenges that they undertake is truly inspiring. It is thanks to the Davis family and our dedicated supporters throughout the region that we are able to continue to provide our vital service” commented HIOWAA CEO Alex Lochrane.
HIOWAA receives no government, statutory or National Lottery funding for operational purposes, relying entirely on the generosity of the people and businesses of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to keep the Air Ambulance flying and saving lives.
You can support Fliss by making a donation to her Virgin Giving Page: uk.virginmoneygiving.com/FlissDavis.
