FORMER patients of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) have shared the reasons why they support the charity as part of a campaign.

Yellow Yorkshire Day is an annual fundraising event held on the first Friday in July, to raise vital funds for the charity.

Each year thousands of pounds are raised by people dressing in yellow or organising a yellow themed fundraising event. This year it will be held on Friday, July 2.

This year’s Yellow Yorkshire Day theme celebrates the reason why people support the charity and include messages from former patients – including Charlotte Theobald and Charlie Gobedhere.

Charlotte, from Helmsley, began suffering from idiopathic anaphylaxis – a severe, spontaneous allergic reactions - after being stung by a wasp in 2017. Her condition hugely impacts her life as the cause of her allergies is unknown and everyday items can trigger a life-threatening reaction, causing chronic spontaneous hives, rapid swelling, and anaphylaxis, narrowing of her airways causing breathing difficulties, asthma and vocal cord dysfunction.

In July 2020, Charlotte had one of the anaphylactic episodes and was flown to hospital by Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

She said: “I support Yorkshire Air Ambulance because they are my angels in the sky.”

Charlie, 10, from South Yorkshire, and his nine-year-old sister, Emma, were travelling by car to Pickering station with their grandad, to catch the train over to Whitby for a day out when they were all involved in a serious road traffic collision.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance was dispatched and, due to the severity of Charlie’s injuries, he was flown directly to the major trauma unit at Leeds General Infirmary.

Tests revealed that Charlie had sustained some very severe injuries, including losing 40cm of his bowel as well as skin tissue loss. Charlie spent 8 and a half weeks in hospital and endured 11 surgeries in total.

Nick Gobedhere, Charlie’s dad, said: “They are a truly remarkable service funded purely by charitable donations, without them my son may not be here anymore, they saved his life.”

For more information, visit www.yorkshireairambulance.org.uk/get-involved/events/yaa-events/yellow-yorkshire-day-2021