Brooke Cheal-Ferris

“I’ve been playing football since I was 12 years old. Over time, I’ve really fallen more in love with the sport. I went from playing at local centres of excellence, to playing at university, to playing for Cambridge United Women. I’ve made so many friends through football. I see them three times a week at training sessions and matches. It really is a big family.

It was November 2025, during her third season with Cambridge United Women, when a match at St Neots in Cambridgeshire came to an abrupt halt.

“It was a freak accident rather than a nasty tackle. I got my foot stuck in the ground, and I heard my leg snap. It was a triple ankle break and a dislocation. I could feel that my foot was the wrong way around. It was so painful that everything was a blur, but I knew I had people around me straight away.

Somebody called 999. I remember a friend saying to me that things would be getting louder shortly. I wasn’t expecting an air ambulance, but then I saw and heard the East Anglian Air Ambulance helicopter approaching, shortly followed by two land ambulances. I was in a lot of pain and couldn’t feel my leg from the knee down. I think that’s why the air ambulance crew were sent, because it was an injury that could have cost me a limb.

The Cambridge-based Anglia Two crew – Dr Tim Osbourne and Critical Care Paramedics Callum Frazer and Andy – landed in the centre circle of the pitch and reached Brooke within moments.

“I can’t really recall what they said to me, but they acted so fast. They gave me advanced pain relief and then sedated me so they could manipulate my badly broken ankle back into position, right there on the football pitch. They also splinted the injury to prevent further damage. I was then flown to Addenbrooke’s Hospital, where I came round in Resus before going to X-ray. They confirmed broken bones but no ligament damage, which was really important for my recovery. I’m so grateful the crew got everything back into place quickly. It could have been a very different story.

Brooke was later transferred to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, where she spent ten days waiting for the swelling to reduce before undergoing surgery.

“During the operation, I had three metal plates and ten screws fitted, which were later removed in Spring 2026. I’m hopeful this will help my recovery moving forward and that I’ll be able to play football again. I didn’t realise an air ambulance would be called that day, but I’m so thankful I received specialist help and got to hospital so quickly.
Beyond the day itself, I also received support from the aftercare team at East Anglian Air Ambulance. It was really helpful. I received a card and attended a wellbeing event at the Norwich base. It was lovely to have that contact afterwards and to meet others who’d been through something similar.

As part of her NHS graduate scheme, Brooke has worked in local hospitals. She has also seen first-hand how 999 calls are triaged and critical care crews are dispatched to the region’s most serious emergencies.

“Seeing that from the inside was so interesting. I saw the list of things they look out for and the emergencies where an air ambulance crew can make the biggest difference. It’s only when something like this happens to you that you realise how important East Anglian Air Ambulance is. You never know when you or someone you love might need it.”