A five-year-old boy just minutes from death has met the air medics who helped save him.

Kye Sharrad, from Harrietsham, suffered a blow to the head when a pony suddenly turned around and knocked him to the ground at his grandfather's stable.

At first, the family thought little Kye would be OK as he showed no signs of distress and only a graze on his forehead.

But two days later he suffered a seizure, which left him semi-conscious.

Alarmed, the family dialled the NHS 111 emergency service, which despatched a helicopter to airlift him to hospital in London.

"I can't praise that service enough," said his grandfather Jim Sharrad.

"They were absolutely brilliant and stayed on the line all the time until the air ambulance landed in a nearby field."

In just a 12-minute flight, the helicopter landed Kye and his mum on the roof of the Royal London Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery to relieve fatal swelling on his brain.

"He was minutes away from death," said mother Kerry. "After the op they warned us he could become brain damaged. It was a traumatic wait.

"But as he came round, the good signs were there. Kye started to show body movements each time he was asked - then we really started to have hope.

"Without the air ambulance I honestly don't think he would be here today. People hear about this service but do little else. Now I will do anything to help."

"He was minutes away from death. After the op they warned us he could become brain damaged. It was a traumatic wait..." - Kye's mum Kerry

During his visit, Kye sat with crew in the helicopter along with Dr Steph Tilston, who tended him on the flight.

Thanking each member of them, he then told them all about his new puppy called Bear.

Asked if he would like to like to fly with them again, Kya gave out an enthusiastic "yes".

Dr Tilston, a consultant anaesthetist and a doctor for 15 years, said: "Kye was in need of very time-critical treatment.

"He was deteriorating so quickly, it's difficult to say how he would have been if it was not for the helicopter."

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