Happy Valentine's Day!

I’m Lauren, Marketing Assistant at The Air Ambulance Service, and I am a romantic.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not one for tacky gifts like cuddly toys, yuck! However I do like the tradition of Valentine’s Day, and letting my boyfriend know I love him by sending a card.
I also happen to love history, so I couldn’t help but wonder... What the heck is Valentine’s Day actually all about?!? Who actually was St Valentine? And why do we spend millions of pounds every February 14th in this country buying into the commercialised idea of ‘Valentine’s Day’...

St Valentine

St Valentine, it is believed, is actually a fusion of several Early Christian Martyrs known as ‘Valentine’. One depiction of Valentine is famous for attempting to convert a Roman Emperor to Christianity... He was sentenced to death. However before his death, he is said to have healed the blind daughter of his gaoler.

Another  tale states that Valentine is believed to have been a priest, who disobeyed the Roman law that young men should remain single, (as this made them better soldiers,) by marrying young Roman soldiers in secret to their sweethearts.

‘St Valentine’ was later associated with romance by the Poet Geoffrey Chaucer, who was asked to write a poem to celebrate the marriage of his King, Richard II.

In the ancient world, February was traditionally viewed as the month associated with fertility and union. In 15th century France, the ‘High Court of Love’ was established on February 14th, which dealt with acts of betrayal and violence against women. So this may give us some clues as to where the date of Valentine’s Day emerged from…

The tradition of sending Valentine’s cards to a sweetheart began in the 18th Century, when young men would often send handmade love tokens to their loved one. As postage became cheaper throughout the Victorian era the popularity of sending cards increased.

 

Roses are red, violets are blue, from myself and everyone at TAAS…

 

Happy Valentine’s Day to you!

 

 

 

Find out more about The Air Ambulance Service's Love Is In The Air appeal.

Why I love my job....

Today we speak to Jo Payne, a Special Projects Manager for the Charity, about why it is she loves her job:

Being part of something dynamic and so vitally important is incredibly exciting and my part in it is the best! Mind you, all the staff and crew think that their bit is the best bit too!
I have been with the Charity from the very beginning, since before we had a helicopter or a home to operate from, so I am immensely proud to have seen the growth and progression of the services we are now providing, in fact I love it!

The essence of why I love my job is difficult to pinpoint as there is so many great things about it.  It could be our stylish helicopters, as I love seeing them flying around. They have a very distinctive sound and I still have to get up and have a look when I hear one nearby, even after ten years! It makes your heart swell with pride to be actively involved with something so special. We have amazing supporters and volunteers that raise funds for us year on year, passionate about what we do and many have become good friends.

It could be my fundraising colleagues or indeed our crew; all professionals in their field of expertise, each enthusiastic and motivated to achieve great things.  They really do inspire me to keep on working hard because if each of us does their bit, we can really make a difference. It is like being part of a big family and great friendships have been formed, we really care about each other in and outside of work and have a lot of fun when we can.

Spending time at the airbase, listening to the crew chatting about previous missions, learning about what medical interventions and procedures our team can give, is absolutely amazing.  Over the years we have had some incredible stories of the lifesaving rescues that our crew have performed and they are nothing short of miraculous and it’s taught me so much, and helped me to hopefully inspire others to support us too.

Meeting the patients and their families, learning about their lives before and since their mission, really is the ultimate reward for me.  You can see it in the eyes of their loved ones; how much they are cherished and how incomprehensible it would have been to lose them. Learning how much they mean to their family, friends and colleagues in context is wonderful, and being just part of such a vital team is a privilege.  We only hear from about 5% of patients, and it would be great to hear from more, even years and years later, just to hear how they are doing since our crew rescued them.

One family came to meet us with three generations, ranging from 12 to 85. We had rescued a gentleman and his wife from a car accident and their Daughter arranged for their trip to base.  With her Husband and Son, all five came to the Coventry base to see us. After a cup of tea, a look around the helicopter and a chat with their crew, the gentleman in his eighties turned to me, looking me straight in the eyes and said, with such heartfelt conviction, “You cannot know how grateful I am.

Every single day when I wake up, I am so grateful for what you all did.” I believed the earnestness in his eyes and it touched my heart.  I will never forget that day or the sincerity of his words.
It’s for days like that, the patients I’ve met and all the friends I’ve made along the way that I love my job. Together we are awesome and what we do is amazing, who wouldn’t love to be part of something so special?