An elderly woman who survived multiple injuries in a road accident in East Ham 10 years ago, has celebrated her 90th birthday on the helipad in Whitechapel.

When Gladys Hogg was hit by a car at the age of 80, doctors said most 30-year- olds wouldn’t survive her injuries.

She suffered a collapsed lung and multiple fractures and one leg was so badly damaged it had to be amputated. Doctors put her in a drug-induced coma.

Ten years later the team from the London Air Ambulance invited Gladys back to their helipad on top of the Royal London Hospital.

Gladys said that as she recovered from the accident, “I was a little upset that I went in a helicopter over London and didn’t see anything!”

Gladys was hit by a car in Barking Road when going to an Indian head massage class. Before London’s Air Ambulance arrived at the scene she was trying to get up, claiming she needed to go home and make tea for her husband.

The medics initially suspected a head injury, as there were cuts on Gladys’ forehead. This was ruled out by a CT scan after she was flown to the Royal London Hospital.

Doctors operated on her left leg for seven hours but were unable to save it and had to amputate above the knee.

But Gladys made a miraculous recovery from her other injuries and she was soon able to walk with a prosthetic leg.

Daughter Barbara said a positive approach to life helped her mum overcome the trauma: “When asked whether she would like to have a plastic surgery on her forehead to cover her scars she replied: I’ll just grow a fringe’.”

Gladys’ family raised £275 for London’s Air Ambulance to celebrate her birthday.