A MOTHER who suffered multiple injuries in a serious car crash has thanked the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) doctor who saved her life.

Laura Shaw, 35, from Kirk Merrington, near Spennymoor, and her daughter were in hospital for weeks following the incident near Chilton on December 3.

The pair were travelling with Mrs Shaw’s husband and the couple’s son to Wynyard Hall to go ice skating, when their Vauxhall Corsa was involved in a collision with another Corsa.

Mrs Shaw sustained 11 fractures in total which included broken ribs, a fracture in her spine, a fracture in her shoulder, two broken wrists and a broken thumb in three places.

She also suffered a haematoma in her stomach, which is a collection of blood outside of a blood vessel.

Mrs Shaw was cut free from her car by firefighters and treated by GNAAS medics before being flown to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.

The rest of the family were taken to the Darlington Memorial Hospital by land ambulance.

Mrs Shaw’s husband, Matthew, and her son, Jack, only had cuts and bruises, however her daughter, Tallulah, sustained a perforated bowel, a fracture in her spine, a ruptured spleen, and three hematomas in her stomach. She was transferred to the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in Newcastle for an emergency operation.

Recalling the incident, Mrs Shaw said the family were travelling at about 30mph when the incident occurred at 1.30pm.

She added: “I remember my husband and my son getting out of the car and me just not being able to move and being in a lot of pain. I could hear my daughter at the back of the car in quite a lot of pain.”

Two men, aged 18 and 19, were arrested shortly after the incident but were released pending further enquiries. This morning (Friday), a Durham Police spokeswoman confirmed no charges had been brought yet and said officers were awaiting a decision from the Crown Prosecution Service.

After ten days in James Cook, Mrs Shaw was transferred to the RVI so she could spend time with her daughter, and they were both released from hospital on December 18.

Mrs Shaw said: “It wasn’t the best Christmas, but the main thing was we were all there together as a family instead of being stuck in hospital.

“We’re doing pretty good, and the consultants are happy with us and absolutely amazed at how we’re walking around and getting about.”

Mrs Shaw and her children recently visited the GNAAS base at Durham Tees Valley Airport , near Middleton-St-George, where they met Dr Jo Paterson who treated her at the scene.

Mrs Shaw said: “I want to say a massive thank you to GNAAS because on that day they saved my life.

“That’s how I look at it, and a big thank you to Jo the doctor that was there at the time. She was amazing.”

Since the incident, friends and family as well as trustees and staff from County Durham-based charity Supportive have collectively raised £694.88 for GNAAS.

The charity is funded entirely by donations and last year it needed to raise £5.1m to survive. To find out how to support the GNASS , visit the charity’s website gnaas.com or call 01325-487263.