The family of a teenager who died in a knife attack has been reunited with the paramedic who tried to save him.
Connor Brown, 18, had been on a night out with his friends when he was fatally stabbed in an alleyway in Sunderland after trying to defuse an altercation.
The incident occurred on Sunday 24 February 2019 in the early hours of the morning and the team from the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) were sent to the scene.
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In less than ten minutes paramedics were by Connor’s side and gave him a blood transfusion to replace the blood he had lost in the attack.
Now Marcus Johnson, the air ambulance paramedic who tried to save Connor’s life, has met the teen’s mum Tanya, dad Simon and younger sister Ellen.
Mr Johnson said: “On a night-time unfortunately we attend a lot of stabbing incidents and in the case of Connor, he sadly could not be saved.
“It’s incredible to hear how the family are turning this awful situation into something positive which will benefit the local community.”
Connor tragically died as a result of his injuries over three years ago.
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Connor’s mum Tanya Brown, 42, said: “We will be forever grateful for the treatment our son Connor received.”
“He received blood from the blood on board scheme which would not have been possible years ago and also the intensive treatment that he received at the scene alone from a team of highly trained professionals in an attempt to save his life.
“I think GNAAS is without doubt one of our greatest emergency services available. The high level of call-outs the service attends proves just how invaluable the service is.”
Following Connor's death, his family launched the Connor Brown Trust to help young people and prevent knife crime in the community.
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Mrs Brown added: “The aim of the trust is to raise awareness around knife crime, the dangers of knife crime and more so the impact knife crime has on families, perpetrators, and communities as a whole. We aim to educate as many of our young people as possible in a bid to prevent other families going through the heart-breaking day to day life we lead now without Connor.
“We also want to promote sports and encourage more young people to engage in physical activities, as this gives them a more positive outlook, self-confidence and a clearer mindset which has direct impact on the wider communities across the city.
“Anyone who had the privilege of knowing Connor simply loved him, everyone he met warmed to his charm. He had a fun filled life and as short as it was, there was never a dull moment with Connor around.
“He always gave 100% in everything he set out to do and would go to the ends of the earth to help someone, whether that be a stranger or someone he loved.”
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