Mark Murphy received care from the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) team at Air Ambulance NI, alongside their colleagues at Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS). In his memory, the McLeigh family arranged a skittles event on August 10th, receiving incredible support from the Downpatrick community and raising an outstanding £6,326.20.
Mark, an employee of Down Drains and a lorry driver, was well-known and highly regarded in his community, as reflected in the generosity shown during the fundraiser. The McLeigh family expressed their gratitude to their local skittles club, The Castle Inn Ladies Skittles Team, as well as to everyone who donated and participated in the event to honour Mark’s memory.
The charity, Air Ambulance Northern Ireland, operates the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service in partnership with the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service. The service provides urgent medical assistance throughout the province, operating seven days a week, 12 hours per day. The HEMS team delivers emergency pre-hospital care directly to patients who are seriously ill or injured, with the goal of saving lives, brains, and limbs.
The aircraft can reach any location in Northern Ireland within approximately 25 minutes, and on average, the medical team is called upon twice daily. Incidents include road traffic collisions, workplace and farm accidents, sports injuries, or serious medical emergencies.
