|
"When
I began my helicopter training, being a nurse, I started wondering
whether Sheffield had an air ambulance service.
I'm
originally from Germany, and the hospital I worked at in Bochum
had a helipad on top of it - we used to have patients with intensive
burns, spinal injuries and certain heart conditions brought to us
by air.
It
turns out that there's only one air ambulance for the whole of Yorkshire,
which I found incredible. And they're privately funded - they don't
receive any money from the NHS.
I decided
that I'd try to help by staging an exhibition of my artworks at
the Northern General Hospital, and donating some of the money from
any works I sold to the Air Ambulance Service."
 |
| One
of Maria-Barbara's original artworks |
Tell
us about your artworks - what form do they take?
"I
create collages which are a combination between nursing and art
- I apply plaster bandages to canvasses to create a three-dimensional
effect.
When
I was studying art, all my student colleagues used to say I should
go into business developing patterns for fabrics - but my dad was
a weaver, and I decided I didn't want to follow in his footsteps!"
Finally,
are you planning to offer your nursing and piloting abilities to
the Air Ambulance service?
"I
might well try to do some volunteer work, but it's difficult to
join in because in this country it's paramedics who fly the helicopters,
not nurses - which is totally different from the situation in Germany.
Sometimes
an organ needs to be transported across England at very short notice,
which is far easier by helicopter than by road - so that would be
another opportunity to help.
And
I may get the chance to offer in-flight service to patients if they're
travelling back from abroad. I'd love to do that.
But
whatever happens, when I finish my training and I have my own license,
I'll certainly continue to fly helicopters. In any case, it's obligatory
if you want to keep your license.
My
kids think it's great, and my granddaughter is looking forward to
flying with me... so I've already got a waiting list of four people
who want to be my passengers when I'm ready!"
|
