The mum of a sick baby being rushed to hospital has thanked hero passers-by who pushed their ambulance up the hill after it got stuck in heavy snow.
Melissa Macleod, mum of 10-month-old Jessica Louise, said it took paramedics two hours to transport her daughter to the Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital, after the blue light vehicle was stranded on Tyrebagger Hill in Aberdeenshire around 11am on Friday.
Little Jessica Louise was born with a congenital heart defect and is currently suffering from a respiratory infection.
Her oxygen saturation levels had dropped critically low and paramedics were desperately trying to get her to hospital to start treatment, after she was collected from Insch Medical Practice following an appointment.
After seeing the ambulance getting into difficulty on the roads, a group of kind-hearted strangers braved the torrential weather conditions caused by Storm Eunice to help dig it out.
Grateful Melissa told the Record: "I just want to say thank you to everyone who moved out the way, those who got out to tell people to move in advance of us moving along the road and to those who pushed us when we got stuck.
"Jessica Louise has very complex medical needs and was hooked up to oxygen inside the ambulance as this went on outside.
"The weather was torrential, so I'm just so grateful to everyone who helped get the ambulance moving to get us to hospital safely.
"My daughter is now getting the treatment she needs thanks to everyone."
Jessica Louise spent the first six months of her life in the Aberdeen hospital and the Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow after being born poorly in March last year.
Melissa added: "This episode is quite tame in comparison to what we’ve been through with her prior.
"In her short life so far she’s already been in two air ambulances and a road ambulance. Those times she was a lot younger and had to go on her own due to covid, so I felt like those were a lot more stressful. "
Jessica Louise's dad Donald was also stuck in traffic on the A96 as he raced to the hospital.
Melissa thanked those who helped clear the snow from the road to make it easier for him to be by his daughter's side.
Melissa said Jessica Louise is already responding to treatment.
She added: "Since we’ve been here for few hours and she has been started on medications she has perked up, however I foresee us being in here for a few days to a week."
