A North East man Corbridge has said if he had not been involved in a serious cycling accident, he might never have found out about a lump on his kidney that resulted in it being taken out.

Tim Lambert was out riding with a friend back in October 2021 when he came off his bike and was airlifted to hospital by the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS).

The 75-year-old said: “I have zero memory of the day. My friend Nick and I set off on our bikes at around 9.30 am that morning and we were going on our usual Northumberland ride out which takes us around three hours.

“We got about a mile away from my house and that’s it…I woke up in hospital three days later.”

The Northern Echo: Tim remembers little of his bike crash - but has since got back on the bike. Tim remembers little of his bike crash - but has since got back on the bike. (Image: GNAAS)

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Strava, the GPS tracking app, said Mr Lambert was travelling at 14 mph when he and his friend Nick both came off their bikes. It is believed they hit a pothole.

Mr Lambert said: “We still aren’t sure what happened but because Nick wasn’t as injured as me, I tease him and say it was his fault.

“Nick managed to call 999 and at that moment we happened to be beside a farm where the farmer was a part-time fireman, so he came out to help.

“The North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) arrived and said I needed to be put in a coma on the scene so they immediately called for GNAAS.”

GNAAS’ helicopter, the Guardian of the North II, arrived within 20 minutes and the critical care team on duty that day was doctor Mike Davison and paramedic Gordon Ingram.

The Northern Echo: Tim was left with serious injuries after his accident - but credits it with the discovery of a tumour on his kidney. Tim was left with serious injuries after his accident - but credits it with the discovery of a tumour on his kidney. (Image: GNAAS)

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The GNAAS team gave Mr Lambert a pre-hospital emergency anaesthetic and put him in an induced coma before transferring him onto the aircraft.

Mr Lambert said: “I suffered a serious head injury, a clot behind my eye, a broken nose and cheekbones and my face was a mess with blood everywhere.

“Nick phoned my wife Alison to tell her I had been in an accident, and they put on the doctor, Mike, from GNAAS, who told her they would be putting me to sleep and flying me to the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in Newcastle.”

Mr Lambert said when his wife arrived at the hospital, he was in intensive care and on a life-support machine.

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He added: “I have been cycling since I was three years old and that was my first ever accident.

“I was brought out of my coma after three days in hospital and in the time I had been asleep they have removed the clot from my eye, cleaned up my face and I had seen the plastic surgeon.

“I was allowed home after one week in hospital and now I am back to how I was before the accident although it was a struggle at first because I got very dizzy.”

While in hospital at the RVI, Mr Lambert underwent scans which revealed a lump on his kidney and although benign, his kidney was removed.

Mr Lambert said: “It was pure coincidence that this showed up and who knows what could have happened without the scans.

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“GNAAS are absolutely amazing and my wife and I have supported them for over 14 years but we never thought we could one day need them.”

He added: “The team were amazing and without their help, things could have been very different.”

The GNAAS operates two helicopters 365 days a year, but receives no Government funding and must raise £7.7m a year through public donations to operate.