“Words alone will never be enough.” How a day of mountain biking became a life or death situation for Cheshire man

For Curtis Hatton there isn’t much that beats mountain biking with friends.

However, a day of fun and enjoyment soon became the stuff of nightmares for the 29-year-old when an accident left him fighting for his life.

After being found unresponsive and struggling to breathe by a friend, Curtis, who lives locally in Cheshire, faced a fight for survival.

Due to the severity of Curtis’ injuries, the North West Air Ambulance NWAA crew gave him an anaesthetic and put him into an induced coma at the scene. This intervention was absolutely vital and it helped to protect Curtis’ brain function.

The NWAA crew then airlifted him directly to a neurosurgical major trauma centre.

“I’ll be forever grateful to the team at the NWAA,” Curtis said. “Without them, I would not have made the recovery I have. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Words will never be enough.

“I have made a decent recovery considering where I was after the accident. I am left with some impairments, like the use of my left arm, mobility issues and slurred speech – but it could have been far worse.”

The lifesaving work of the NWAA is completely reliant on the generosity of members of the public, as the charity needs to raise £18 million in donations each year to remain operational.

A key portion of these donations comes via the weekly Lift off Lottery, which takes place every Friday and gives you the chance to win £1,000 when you sign up to play from their official site here.

NWAA also have quarterly superdraws where the jackpot is boosted to £10,000. With the next one taking place in December – joining the Lift off Lotto means that you will automatically be entered into superdraws once you start to play!

Sign up to play today and for £4.34 you’ll get entered into all the Lift off Lottos across the month. That donation could make a world of difference to someone just like Curtis.

Without the funds raised by the charity lottery, Curtis’ story may not have had the same positive outcome and his father, Brian, cannot express his gratitude deeply enough. 

Brian said: “We are convinced if it wasn’t for North West Air Ambulance, the outcome could have been different, to the point of his survival or how far he recovered.

“We can never repay them for what they have done and will be forever grateful.”

The NWAA covers some 5,500 square miles in the North West region and responds to 3,000 emergencies similar to Curtis’ every year.

However, donations are paramount to the continued work of the charity and the Lift off Lotto is one of the best ways to help.

You can get your tickets by heading to the charity’s website here. Remember, as well as giving a little bit back to a vital local cause, you’ll also have the chance of winning £1,000 every Friday when you play.

Curtis’ story is not unique. Keep North West Air Ambulance in the sky by taking part in the £1,000 jackpot Lift off Lotto today.