AN 11-YEAR-OLD girl who suffered a horrific chest injury on New Year’s Eve is bravely sharing her story of how the Thames Valley Air Ambulance saved her life as part of a new animated film for their Christmas appeal.

Lucy was playing outside with her brother, sister and cousins last New Year’s Eve, when she went to run through a metal gate.

The gate swung towards her with the latch hitting her in the chest.

It was so painful, Lucy struggled to breathe - and she realised she was badly injured when she looked down and saw blood.

Lucy has lent her voice to the Thames Valley Air Ambulance’s animated short film to showcase how the charity’s emergency lifesaving services helped her.

In the short video, Lucy retells the events of the night, how she felt and how the charity saved her life.

Running back into her family home, she recalled feeling scared as her parents stuffed kitchen towel and a duvet over her wound to stem the bleeding, while her uncle called the ambulance.

The air ambulance crew arrived via road vehicle because the weather was too bad for the helicopter to fly.

The crew dressed her wound, gave her pain relief and took her mind off of what was happening.

They even visited her in hospital the next day and gave her a teddy bear.

Lucy had to have surgery and part of her lung removed but she has made a full recovery.

She said: “I can’t explain how thankful I am for them. How they handled the situation. They are really amazing at their job. More than anyone I’ve seen. And now I’m able to play cricket again and go swimming.”

The animation is part of Thames Valley Air Ambulance’s Christmas appeal to raise vital funds to ensure it can provide emergency medical care by air and land 365 days a year.

Amanda McLean, Chief Executive of the Thames Valley Air Ambulance charity, said: “Lucy is incredible and very brave, both for all that she went through and for sharing her story.

“We don’t want anybody to need our services but, as Lucy’s experiences shows, when they do, our crews are highly trained and ready for any eventuality.

“We bring the hospital to the patient, giving the best chance when the worst happens.”