A Basingstoke woman who was saved by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance after being hit by a runaway motorbike will be shaving off her hair in an effort to raise funds.

Claire Clark, 40, was walking her daughters Bonnie and Amelia home with her husband near King George V playing fields when a motorcyclist lost control of his bike and fell off. The bike, however, continued travelling, knocking Claire down and causing her to fall backwards, fracturing her skull against the kerb.

“It all occurred so quickly they had no time to warn me and get out of the bike’s way,” Claire said. “My husband and children were terribly shocked. I was on the floor with blood flowing from my head. They feared the worst: I would die lying on the path.”

The Air Ambulance was called after a road ambulance crew assessed her, taking her to Southampton hospital where she underwent a craniotomy, where bone was removed from her skull to allow her brain to swell, and stopping her from dying.

Claire then spent four weeks in hospital, including two weeks in intensive care, nine of those days in an induced coma on life support. She says that the injuries caused a range of cognitive issues, including memory loss and speech difficulties.

“The week leading up to the accident, and the accident itself, has been erased completely from my memory,” she said. “For my daughter’s pirates project there was a special pirate party lunch, so I sent her to school with a sandwich shaped as a ship. I cannot remember these details. I only remembered the sandwich when I scrolled through my phone’s Camera Roll.”

Now, six years on, Claire will be shaving her hair on the anniversary of the day she was struck by the motorbike, aiming to raise as much as she can for the Air Ambulance. At time of writing, she has raised £2,734, but is hoping to raise as much as she can.

“I would like to shave my hair to bare my scars, tell my story and show my appreciation of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance. Without them I would not be telling my story today.”

She will be livestreaming the event via her fundraising page, where donations can be made by clicking here.