Family thanks Sheffield Children’s for life-saving care after being airlifted via charity-funded helipad

A 12-year-old boy has made a remarkable recovery after being seriously injured in a road accident, thanks to rapid, specialist care at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, accessed via its helipad funded by Sheffield Children’s Hospital Charity.

On 18 June 2025, Tim Corlett, from Kirton in Lindsey, North Lincolnshire, received the phone call every parent dreads. His 12-year-old son, Frankie, had been hit by a car on his way home from school.

Frankie was struck by one car and thrown onto another. He was unresponsive, and emergency services were called immediately. His older brother, Brooklyn, who was with him at the time, called dad Tim, who came running from their home just minutes away. Paramedics and the air ambulance arrived quickly, they acted fast, and Frankie was flown by air ambulance by The Air Ambulance Service to Sheffield Children’s Hospital.

Thanks to the air ambulance, the highly specialised staff at Sheffield Children’s, and the £6 million Sheffield Children’s Hospital Charity-funded helipad – opened just one year ago – Frankie was able to receive urgent, life-saving care without delay.  Fundraisers from across the country rallied together to support Sheffield Children’s, including Helipad Heroes, regular givers, members of the local community, corporate organisations and more.

The helipad would not have been possible without the generosity of the public, charities and local businesses, with the national charity HELP Appeal donating the largest sum of £2.8million towards the appeal.

Dad Tim said: “It was incredible – the moment he needed care, it was there. It felt like the Avengers had assembled! The staff at Sheffield Children’s are the most professional and highly trained people I have ever met.

 “I never thought this would happen to my son. He was completely healthy, and in an instant, our world was turned upside down. When I heard the air ambulance was on its way, I felt such relief knowing Frankie would be taken to Sheffield Children’s. I’ve been blessed with a miracle. Sheffield Children’s Hospital saved my son’s life.”

Sheffield Children’s is the only Major Trauma Centre and specialist paediatric hospital covering South Yorkshire, Bassetlaw, North Derbyshire, and North Lincolnshire that receives children under 16 years of age, 24/7, 365 days a year. In its first year, the helipad, funded by Sheffield Children’s Hospital Charity, has already had over 50 landings which has made sure children across the region get the specialist care they need safely and quickly.

Frankie sustained a significant traumatic brain injury and multiple skull and facial fractures. He was admitted in Sheffield Children’s Intensive Care Unit initially, kept in an induced coma for 48hrs to allow brain rest and increase chances of recovery, being closely monitored by intensive care team and neurosurgeons.

For his parents, the outcome was uncertain. But just two days later, Frankie showed his first signs of response when he squeezed his nurse’s hand. Though unable to speak, he could breathe by himself and started moving. He went on to make great progress, continuing his recovery on the High Dependency Unit and the specialist neurosciences ward.

Dad, Tim, recalled: “We couldn’t believe it. He didn’t know what was going on, but that weekend, he came around and even asked to play a game. We played Connect 4 from his hospital bed, and I knew he would be okay.”

As a national leader in children’s health, Sheffield Children’s has spent nearly 150 years pioneering care that is rooted in the community, delivering joined-up care that meets each child and their family where they are – including access via helicopter to get children and young people to the dedicated care they need. Thanks to swift and specialist care, Frankie was able to return home just one week after his accident and is now back spending time with his family, attending school and even playing football with his friends,

Since Frankie was given the all-clear by the neurology team at Sheffield Children’s, dad Tim and his entire family have been determined to say thank you for saving his son’s life. With Frankie cheering him on from the sidelines, Tim ran the Yorkshire Marathon this October and raised just under £1,500 for Sheffield Children’s Hospital Charity.

Tim said: “Frankie was fortunate enough to be airlifted, and he received excellent care from the moment the helicopter touched down on the helipad. I know not all families are this lucky. Every day, parents face emergencies and ongoing treatments with no guarantees. That’s why I feel a personal obligation to give back for the rest of my life. We were given world-class care, made possible by charity funding. I’m doing this for the next family who needs it.”

John Williams, Deputy Chief Executive at Sheffield Children’s, said: “One year on from opening the helipad, we are reminded every day of the life-saving difference it makes. Frankie’s remarkable recovery is a powerful example of how rapid access to specialist care can change lives, and it’s amazing to hear he is back doing the things he loves with a bright, healthy future ahead of him. Thank you to everyone who fundraised to provide such a vital asset to children’s healthcare in the region.”

Owen Morris, Strategic Communications Manager for The Air Ambulance Service, said: “Hospital helipads such as that at Sheffield Children’s Hospital save crucial time by allowing air ambulances to deliver critically ill patients directly to specialist care without delaying urgent treatment. Earlier this year, air ambulance charities from across the UK launched a new sector-wide manifesto calling for action to safeguard and strengthen provision of these lifesaving facilities.”

You can donate to Tim’s fundraiser here.