Former NHS consultant Sean Watermeyer is helping in another way after decades of dedicated service
A retired NHS consultant has written a new children’s book in support of the Wales Air Ambulance.
Sean Watermeyer, who served as a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital for 19 years, has published Bernie the Christmas Spirit and the Wales Air Ambulance as the third version in his Bernie the Christmas Spirit series.
Mr Watermeyer, who has spent 35 years working as a medic, said writing the book was his way of giving back to an organisation he greatly admires. “The Wales Air Ambulance carries out around three and a half thousand life-saving missions every year,” he said. “It’s entirely charity-based and not funded by the NHS.” Stay in the know by making sure you’re receiving our daily newsletter.
Inspiration came to Sean after seeing the air ambulance from his home and searching about them.
“Every day we see them coming in and out, and I looked them up and realised they were entirely charitable,” he said. “I knew I needed to do something for these guys.”
Sean’s medical career has been wide-ranging. Alongside his NHS work he served as a squadron doctor in the RAF, completing a tour in Bosnia and supporting a naval squadron in Germany where he also met his wife.
He later became the cancer lead for the Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board for a decade and chaired the hospital committee for PONT – a Pontypridd-based charity working with communities in Mbale, Uganda.
His medical experience, he said, has deeply influenced his writing. “Being a medic for 35 years has shaped how I see the world,” he said. “The Bernie books are about spreading love, decency, and goodness, and that’s the message I want children to take away.”
The Bernie the Christmas Spirit series began in 2020 when Mr Watermeyer published the first edition with proceeds going to Centrepoint, a charity supporting young people facing homelessness. His latest book continues that tradition of pairing storytelling with social good.
As well as the Bernie the Christmas Spirit series Mr Watermeyer has written several other books. His earlier works include Infertility and Miscarriage: A Guide for the General Public, written to support couples struggling to conceive, and The Frequently Untrodden Path to Happiness, a self-help book exploring the pursuit of wellbeing and positivity.
The Wales Air Ambulance has welcomed the project with the charity planning to stock the book across its 10 shops throughout Wales. It will also be available online through Amazon and in Waterstones stores.
Sean said he was delighted when Waterstones agreed to carry the book. “I went into the Cardiff store and explained what the book was for, that all royalties were going to the air ambulance,” he said.
“The staff were absolutely lovely and said they’d be happy to stock it.”
Looking ahead, Sean hopes the book will encourage children and adults alike to appreciate the vital work of the Wales Air Ambulance.
“It’s a feel-good story,” he said. “I want children to know that goodness is the right way ahead and that if anything ever happens there are people out there, like the air ambulance team, ready to help.”
Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here. We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice.