Jed Rayner reunites with Terry Sharpe, the paramedic who saved his life after a tragic car accident 18 years ago.
Jed was seventeen at the time. His car collided head-on with a tractor on the A686 near Penrith. Sadly, Jed’s friend, James Johnston, also seventeen and driving, died in the crash. Jed suffered broken ribs, a punctured lung, and cuts to his face and body.
Jed remembers the accident happened quickly. He said they hit hydraulic fluid on the road, causing the car to slide into the path of a tractor. The North West Ambulance Service arrived, and the Great North Air Ambulance Service also assisted. Sadly, James died at the scene.
Jed had to be cut from the car while fading in and out of consciousness. A woman spoke to him, keeping him focused. Jed felt intense pain and couldn’t breathe well. He remembers seeing a bald man in the helicopter and asking about the pain medication they administered.
Jed was then airlifted to a hospital. He awoke as a nurse removed glass from his body and stayed several days. Doctors inserted a chest tube to help his lung to heal.
Now, Jed is running the Great North Run to support the Great North Air Ambulance Service. He says now feels like the right time, as he specifically wants to run for this charity and looks forward to wearing the GNAAS logo.
GNAAS staff located paramedic Terry Sharpe, who helped Jed back in 2006. They then invited Jed and his family to meet Terry. Jed felt overwhelmed meeting Terry; it was emotional after so many years, and he never thought he would meet him.
Terry was nice and put Jed at ease. Terry remembers Jed’s incident well and expressed his happiness to have helped.