Angelica’s Story

On 23rd June 2025, Angelica Hambis returned to our North Weald airbase, not as a patient, but as a paramedic. She stood beside the quote that’s been proudly displayed on our wall since our airbase opened its doors in October 2021; it was the moment she first imagined stepping into a paramedic’s shoes.

Angelica had shared those words back in 2019 (page 19), just several months after being airlifted to King’s College Hospital. She had been working at a racing yard in Radlett when a horse veered off course during a morning workout and charged through a set of railings. Thrown onto her back, she instantly knew something was wrong. The impact fractured her pelvis in two places. After undergoing surgery and beginning her long recovery, Angelica shared a reflection that stayed with us:

“I met the guys who came out to me, and I sat in their helicopter. I’m fascinated by the work of the air ambulance and the ambulance service in general. I’m thinking of making a career change and becoming a paramedic. I never thought I’d want to make such a dramatic career change, but the incident opened my eyes. Now I want to do something as important as the work that paramedics do.”

Six years on, Angelica has done precisely that. Angelica completed her Emergency Medical Technician apprenticeship in 2021, before going on to study with the University of Cumbria through their two-year apprentice paramedic programme. She finished the course in 2025, six and a half years after her accident, graduating with a first-class degree and becoming a Newly Qualified Paramedic (NQP). 

Recently, we were thrilled to welcome Angelica and her partner Luke through the doors of our North Weald airbase, where she saw the helicopter and caught up with familiar faces from our critical care team. “It really meant a lot to meet Angelica again, now as a qualified paramedic. It was such a full circle moment,” said Adam, our Centre for Excellence Clinical Community Lead.

Reaching this life goal wasn’t just about passing assessments or shaping a new career pathway. For Angelica, it meant being able to care for others the way she had once been cared for.

“I remember at the time thinking I needed to stop horse riding. I was lucky. It could have been so much worse. I knew then I wanted to do something different, something that would give me a better future. Looking back now, I’m proud I found a way to turn that moment into something meaningful. Those two years of studying flew by – one minute we were starting, and the next we were handing in our final essays. I still can’t quite believe I did it.”

She continues to learn on the job, with additional responsibilities and a broader clinical scope compared to her days as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).

“As a paramedic, there’s a lot more you can do, from drug administration to clinical decision-making. There’s also a lot more responsibility, which can be daunting, but I feel ready for it.”

Her time as a patient certainly hasn’t left her; it continues to shape the kind of paramedic she wants to be.

“I haven’t been to a patient who’s had the exact same injury, but each time I work alongside EHAAT’s critical care team, it brings it all back. I’m always reminded of what they did for me. I still look up to those teams and think, one day, maybe I could be one of them. It’s competitive, and what they deal with every day is incredibly tough, but it’s something I’d love to work towards. But for now, I’m just enjoying the job and keeping my mind open to where it might lead.”

While Angelica still looks up to the crew who helped her through one of the toughest days of her life, she’s now part of that same world, supporting patients through theirs.