A MOTHER has spoken of her terror after the moment her four-year-old son fell backwards from a tractor and fractured his skull.

Daniel Aynsley was helping his dad Micheal on the family farm at Wallington when the accident happened.

Daniel’s mum, Liz, said: “I left the farm to bath our dog and about 30 minutes later, Michael came to the door with Daniel in his arms screaming.”

The four-year-old had been standing on the steps of the family’s new tractor when he fell backwards, hitting the concrete below.

Mrs Aynsley said: “Michael heard the crack and said he thought Daniel could have fallen about a metre. I took him in the lounge and into my arms and his head started rolling back and that’s when I started to get frightened then suddenly, Daniel lost all consciousness.”

As Mr Aynsley went off to ring 999 and alert the village doctor, Mrs Aynsley desperately tried to wake her son up.

Due to the rural location of the farm, The Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) arrived on the scene, and said Daniel needed to get to a trauma centre as soon as possible.

Mrs Aynsley said: “I remember them wrapping him up like a cocoon. Then they told me to get some of his favourite teddies to comfort him and put them around him.

“I walked Daniel to the helicopter, and he woke up and then was sick. I thought this was him feeling better, but I didn’t realise the sickness was a result of his head injury."

Daniel, who had suffered a fractures skull and a bleed on the brain, was taken to the RVI. After spending six days in hospital, he was allowed home where he has since made a full recovery.

Mrs Aynsley added: “I can’t put into words how thankful we are.”

GNAAS is continuing to fly through the COVID-19 crisis but has asked the public to continue its support in the face of the collapse of its community fundraising activities. Visit www.gnaas.com or call 01325 487 263.