A SUPERB £6,828 has been handed over to the Wales Air Ambulance, the proceeds of a classy fundraising calendar initiated by Goodwick grandmother Eliz Summers.

Eliz decided to raise the money after the charity saved her life, airlifting her from Phoenix Park playing fields after she suffered a massive heart attack.

Eliz suffered a severe cardiac arrest at her home in May 2017. Fortunately, her husband Neil was with her and, thanks to years of watching hospital dramas, knew to start CPR immediately. He rang for an ambulance and also called their son Steve, a part-time Fishguard firefighter, who continued CPR for 20 minutes while they awaited paramedics.

The ambulance transferred Eliz to the air ambulance helicopter waiting on Goodwick United playing fields and she was flown to Morriston Hospital.

Onboard Eliz had another cardiac arrest and a third one while she was being operated on in theatre.

She was in a coma for almost a month before she started a slow and steady recovery.

A year later Eliz, along with friends and family, posed for a classy calendar to raise money for Wales Air Ambulance.

Twelve local women, aged between 20 and 70, dressed up for the classy but cheeky photo shoot, taken by photographer Val Collela, including Eliz's daughter Michelle, her granddaughter Georgia and two sisters, Irene and Sandra.

The Hats Off to the Air Ambulance calendar went on sale at local businesses and shows and raised a grand total of £6,828.

"I cannot thank the medics of the Air Ambulance Service enough" said Eliz.

"Without them I would not be here today.

"One of the reasons I survived was that I was able to get to a hospital relatively quickly," said Eliz. "As soon as I was onboard the air ambulance the doctors reassured my family that I was in effect already in intensive care. It also helped that my husband and son continued with CPR for so long.

"With all the threats facing our health service the speed at which patients can get to expert medical care is absolutely vital. And yet this essential service is dependent on charity.

"That's why we were determined to do all we could to help."