A Newcastle teenager who survived a crash on his e-scooter has reunited with the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) paramedics who helped save his life.
Davide-Daniel Tiblea, now 13, sustained life-changing injuries in the collision in March, when he was 12. He was critically injured in the crash, which also involved a car, in the West Denton area of Newcastle. His injuries included a fractured skull, internal bleeding and a severe traumatic brain injury.
The NEAS team transported him to the RVI so that specialists could continue his care. The reunion, held on Monday, October 5, allowed his family to thank the people who cared for their boy at the most difficult time in their lives, and to reflect on the remarkable progress Davide has made in his recovery, just over six months on from the collision.
Family's gratitude
Davide's mum, Diana Tiblea, who was with him in the ambulance, said: "There are no words to truly thank the ambulance crews and hospital staff who cared for Davide. In the moments when our family needed them most, they were there for us."
"We will always be grateful for the care, kindness and expertise they showed. We will forever thank everyone who helped our Davide and we will keep everyone in our prayers, once again thank you everyone."
She also said she remembers the "calmness and compassion" shown by the emergency teams during the family's darkest hours. They were warned that he might not survive, but Davide defied expectations, waking from an induced coma, regaining his strength, and he is now back at school and looking to the future.
Rapid response
His dad, Dan Tiblea, said: "I'm incredibly grateful for how quickly the ambulance arrived, within just three minutes, in a situation like this, every second matters and that rapid response made such a difference. Thank you to everyone involved in Davide's care, we will never forget what they did for our family."
His sister, Sonia Tiblea, added: "Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to everyone who helped save our whole world, Davide. There are honestly no words to explain how grateful we are to every single person involved."
"We never thought something like this could happen to our family, and that's why we want to help raise awareness. It can happen to anyone, and if sharing Davide's story helps another family stay safe, then it's worth it."
Paramedics' perspective
The reunion was emotional for the NEAS staff, who saw first-hand the impact they had on the family's lives. Paramedic Kyle Hadjikakou-Peebles shared that the experience was an "incredibly special" one for him.
He said: "It is incredibly special and rewarding for everyone to see Davide again, and to see how far he has come. When we cared for him, our focus was on recognising the seriousness of his injuries, providing the treatment he needed and getting him to specialist hospital care as quickly and safely as possible."
"His recovery is a testament to his courage and determination, the support of his family and the teamwork of everyone involved in his care. We hope that sharing his story will encourage young people and families to think carefully about safety whenever they use a bike, scooter or other wheeled equipment."
Safety campaign
The reunion supports the ambulance service's summer safety campaign, which encourages children, young people and adults to take simple precautions when using bicycles, e-bikes, motorbikes, scooters and other wheeled equipment. It was launched after NEAS responded to 340 bike-related incidents in July 2026, an increase of 25.5% compared to 2025, and 45.9% from 2024.
Specialist paramedic in critical care, Stuart Mawhinney, said: "I really encourage parents, carers and young people to wear a correctly fitted helmet, check their equipment before setting off and make sure they have the skills and road awareness needed to stay safe."
