Harry Smith, 1

Little Harry Smith's mum is planning to become a DLRAA helper after it got him to hospital speedily when an upturned cup of tea seriously scalded him. 

Harry, who turned two on Wednesday, was at work with his mum Clare Bloomfield in Rushden when the accident happened on November 4, 2011.

Clare said: "I made a cup of tea, put it down without thinking and as I took my hands off to pull the chair out, he came behind me and pulled it onto himself and let out the most almighty scream.

"I took him over to the sink, got a tea towel with cold water and kept dousing him with cold water. He was screaming and I had him in one hand and the phone in the other calling the paramedics."

An ambulance came out to them and paramedics decided Harry should be flown to Birmingham Children's Hospital's special burns unit. The air ambulance landed in a field and took Clare and Harry to hospital.

Clare, of Higham Ferrers, said: "We landed right outside Birmingham Children's Hospital on the pavement outside A&E. I was amazed, I was thinking 'all this effort because of one cup of tea'. They came out to get us, no questions asked. I remember thinking 'how much is this costing and who is paying for it?'."

Harry had eight per cent burns to his chest and arms and came out of hospital four days later. Clare said: "Mostly it's superficial so it's healed on its own. He had to have a little skin graft on his arm with skin from his leg."

When they got home Clare went online to read more about the air ambulance. She said: "I thought it was just for people being rescued off mountains but it's for ordinary accidents in the home as well."

The family are set to visit the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance's base at Coventry Airport and Clare is also going to volunteer for the charity.

Emma Johns from the air ambulance  said: "Harry's story is a great example of using the speed of our helicopters to get patients, whatever their age, the specialist care they need. For so many of our rescues we also rely on the expertise of the doctor on board for lifesaving treatment at the scene too. In the last few weeks we have airlifted Harry, aged two, and a 96-year-old lady, so we really do serve the whole community."