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Read the latest updates from Walking With The Wounded's 'Walking Home ' winter campaign
Neil's Veteran Story
By Walking With The Wounded on
Every penny you raise for Walking Home For Christmas will support people like Neil...
Deployed to Bosnia, Macedonia, Iraq, Sierra Leone and Afghanistan in a 23-year career before medical discharge.
Neil, a WO2 in the Army Air Corps, suffered a training accident in Kenya where he was trapped underwater beneath an upturned raft, nearly drowned, suffered spinal injuries and as a result struggled with PTSD, including an extreme phobia of water. This impacted his family life, his marriage suffered and eventually lead to divorce, “it felt like I had lost it all, my wife and two wonderful children. It was too much to deal with.”
Post discharge he was referred to WWTW’s mental health programme, is now able to cope with his PTSD and has overcome his phobia of water.
“I didn’t know where I stood when I left the Army. I was withdrawn and suffering mentally. If it wasn’t for WWTW and their Head Start programme I don’t know what I would have done.”
“Anything water related would trigger my PTSD. I couldn’t bath or shower for over 6 months and I had to remove the bathroom door so I didn’t feel enclosed. I couldn’t even boil a kettle or tolerate rain. The sound or sight of water would bring me out in sweats and uncontrollable shaking.”
“I have ups and downs but I now know how to handle situations without exploding. I can manage my low moods and that is all thanks to WWTW.”
Neil has recently sent his therapist a photograph - he’s on a jet ski with his daughter, happy and enjoying life and having good times with his children. He said, “I have been given the chance to start a new chapter in my life and I have.”
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Bryn's Story
By Walking With The Wounded on
Bryn served as an Infantryman in the elite 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment (1 PARA), part of the Special Forces Support Group. He was regularly deployed on operations - to Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Northern Ireland, Iraq, and Afghanistan – and he was fulfilled by his achievements as a soldier.
After 10 years of active duty however, the physical demands of the role took its toll, and he experienced pain and damage to both his ankles. As he was no longer able to train or go on operations, he accepted that it was time to hang up his Army boots.
Unphased by the transition to civilian life, Bryn quickly transferred his military expertise into a career in private security. He secured contracts to protect senior US government officials as they...
Kane's Story
By Walking With The Wounded on
After Kane’s military career came to a sudden end, he had no idea what to do next. Without any direction in life, he felt stuck and increasingly disillusioned. Over time, he decided that he was most suited to working outdoors and he focused his energy into achieving his goal. WWTW supported Kane into a new career in Arboriculture. They provided him with help, encouragement, and the funding that he needed to get his professional training and apply for work. Now Kane has a great job as an Arborist with a leading utilities service company.
“Upon leaving the Army I was really stuck in a rut and didn’t know what to do. The turning point was meeting Lynsey at WWTW. She gave me so much help and support along the way and now I have landed myself...
Carly’s story
By Walking With The Wounded on
Carly joined the Army in June 2012. When the initial 14-16 weeks of basic training commenced Carly immediately began to experience symptoms of anxiety, feeling panicky. When the PT session came round Carly recollects standing in the ablutions in floods of tears brought on by the mere thought of the obstacle course. Eventually Carly was discharged from the Army in September 2013, just 15 months after joining. In 2015 Carly suffered a breakdown and sought treatment through her GP. In August 2017 Carly met with an Employment Adviser from Walking With The Wounded who Carly refers to as "brilliant from day one". After initial successes, In January 2018 Carly began to once again experience feelings of anxiety and self-doubt and...