Page 15 - QARANC Vol 20 No 1 2022

colostomy bag in place and over 56 staples holding the wounds together. The next day he learned the person he had been sharing a tent with, in Afghanistan, had just been killed.
As the weeks passed, Tony began to feel like his identity had been stripped from him. His career path was now uncertain, his body was battered, his nerves felt like they were “on fire” and he had been left an invalid. “It was unbearable,” he said.
Tony had his family around him, but his thoughts became dark, and he didn’t want to be alive at this point. He began pushing everyone away and feeling guilty for not being able to save his friends. He could not accept that he would be in a wheelchair for life and kept getting out of bed to test his limits, much to annoyance of the nurses as he kept falling. Eventually it was recognised that Tony was recovering by making use of his legs.
During this time, Tony admits he “really, really struggled” and felt like he was “drowning”. Eventually though, his legs grew stronger and by Christmas, some seven months later, Tony was able to walk out of a spinal unit on a Zimmer frame, albeit at a slow pace, his left leg still paralysed, but with bladder control restored.
Life began to look up. The colostomy was eventually removed, Tony had met a partner and his daughter was born in 2014. He said, “I remember her being born on Valentine’s Day and thinking that ‘I could do more, and I wanted to do more’ and a year and 2 days later my second daughter was born. I became more determined than ever to push my limits of being able to walk, to be able to be more of a Dad.”
Tony was being held back by his leg braces which would fail if he walked a distance, and on one occasion snapped as he was carrying his daughter across the road. “I managed to catch my daughter but then I remember looking up and seeing this on-coming car.”
Both were okay but Tony realised his leg braces were not adequate for the complex injury he was carrying, and he needed better support. Tony was given an opportunity to get into karting which he seized and ended up becoming semi-professional.
However, at the same time Tony was frustrated with his situation. The technology and options were so much better for amputees. “My knee would become severely painful from ill-fitting
leg braces” that he even considered he would potentially be more mobile and pain free if he had his leg removed. Amputation seemed the way forward.
After exhausting all options with leg braces with the NHS, Tony ended up reaching out to the charity Help for Heroes and to Duane ‘Fletch’ Fletcher from QARANC, who had been the lead trauma nurse when Tony was shot. Fletch was able to secure the Association funding for Tony to fit him with a bespoke Momentum Brace, which is top of the range leg brace and immediately has been transformative.
He explained, “Already I’m walking tall, I’m straight when I’m walking, I’m faster and my pain levels have really subsided. I’m able to stand for ages
now, which is huge – this is so much more advanced. There are no words that I can say to show the gratitude that I feel. I wish I had this 10 years ago, it’s had huge implications.”
Tony, who now lives in St Helens, is a parent governor at his daughter ’s school and is looking into setting up a small business. He has also got engaged.
Reflecting on his journey, Tony is positive about his time in service, even though he went through an incredibly traumatic experience. “Two friends died, and I know their families struggle still,” he said, “But I’m proud of what I did that day and what I have managed to achieve afterwards. I only learned recently that the intelligence that I gathered helped us identify IEDs so I left Afghanistan thinking I hadn’t saved anybody, but actually I may have helped save a load of other guys from having my injuries or worse.
He adds, “I hope that my story inspires others to join the Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps.
I’m really proud of my service and if I had a chance to rewind 12 years, I’d still do it all
again.”
The Gazette QARANC Association 15