Ada inspired to climb Mont Blanc in aid of EAAA

19-year-old Ada Marson lives on an isolated farm on the Suffolk coast. In September 2024, she had recently completed her A-levels when she and her Mum took two of their horses out onto a recently cropped field, but the morning took a scary turn and Ada needed help from East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA). Ada was riding a young horse when she says he became a bit overwhelmed by the ride and surroundings.

“He threw himself onto the ground, with me still on him,” Ada explains. “I was still holding onto the reins as he got up and started to run away.”

Ada remembers seeing the horse turn and thought that she needed to let go of the reins. But it all happened so quickly. As the horse ran, he kicked Ada in the head, throwing her backwards by around four metres.

“I don’t remember much about what happened, but I woke up on the ground with my Mum beside me.”

Thankfully Ada was wearing her riding hat and a body protector but, when she struggling to lift her head, her Mum told her stay on the ground where she was. The emergency services were called, and Ada’s Dad arrived on scene. By this time, Ada began to feel a little better and sat up.

“I probably shouldn’t have done!” She says. “I felt funny, but nothing really hurt.”

The ambulance service arrived, but a short time later Ada collapsed and was drifting in and out of consciousness.

“I can remember feeling fine and sitting up one minute, then a paramedic had my head in her arms, and I couldn’t open my eyes,” Ada adds.

With concerns that Ada could be suffering from bleed on the brain, the Anglia One (Norwich) crew, Dr Jim and Critical Care Paramedic Jordan, from East Anglian Air Ambulance was tasked at 14:37, arriving at the scene by air at 15:02, just 25 minutes later.

“I heard the helicopter as it came into land,” Ada says.

There was a risk that Ada’s condition could deteriorate, but having the advanced skills, medication and equipment of the EAAA crew at her side meant she would have the best possible care if this happened before she arrived at hospital.

Due to the remote location of Ada’s incident, she was flown in the East Anglian Air Ambulance helicopter to Ipswich Hospital for further treatment. The journey by road would have taken around an hour, some of it on uneven country lanes.

“It wasn’t how I imagined my first flight in a helicopter would be!” Ada says.

At hospital, Ada had a CT scan to check for a bleed on her brain. Thankfully the scan was clear, and she received treatment for a badly broken nose and was discharged later that evening. Ada realises that she was incredibly lucky and has decided to take on a fundraising challenge in aid of EAAA this June by climbing Mont Blanc in the French Alps.

“I’ve been skiing in Chamonix, and I’ve always wanted to climb Mont Blanc,” Ada explains. “EAAA looked after me so well that I thought ‘why not do it and raise money for a fabulous charity at the same time.”

Standing at nearly 5,000 metres above sea level, Mont Blanc is one of the highest mountains in Europe so it really will be a big challenge for Ada to undertake. She will start her climb, supported by a guide, at 1,000 metres and will ascent to 4,805 metres in just two days.

“Climbing that elevation in a short period is what makes it so difficult,” Ada says.

Despite living in the flat landscape of East Suffolk, Ada has been preparing well with endurance training, using a treadmill with an incline while carrying a rucksack, and using an altitude simulator machine to replicate some of the reduced oxygen levels she will experience. If the climb goes to plan and the conditions are good, Ada hopes to summit Mont Blanc on 14 June.

She has already exceeded her fundraising target of £1,000 and is hoping to raise as much as possible to help people experiencing life-threatening medical emergencies across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.

Thank you, Ada, for your incredible support. We wish you a successful climb!