Doug wins an award and takes on yet another challenge!
On 19th October Sue and I were invited by Help for Heroes to Tedworth House at Tidworth where I was extremely honoured to receive an award for our efforts fund raising. I did feel and pointed out that Sue should have been a joint recipient.
Tedworth House is one of several Recovery Centres being supported by Help for Heroes as part of the Defence Recovery capability in partnership with MOD and Royal British Legion, which aims to ensure those wounded in service get comprehensive support for life!!
We were given a tour of Tedworth House to see for ourselves the wonderful facilities that Help for Heroes are providing for our wounded. While there we were privileged to meet several of our severely wounded heroes. One in particular (Dean) I chatted to at length and what an inspiration he is!! Two years ago he was severely wounded when shot through the head and has been in a wheelchair ever since but is battling back. He is a very positive young man and bears no grudges, he takes on each new challenge with a terrific sense of humour. Dean has been in a wheelchair since his injury but has just started walking a few steps and is tackling it with great determination. He is really looking forward to the next phase of his life, which is a fresh start in an adapted new home for him and his girlfriend in Lincoln which he assures me is a great improvement to his home town of Middlesborough!! While Dean was telling me about how he hoped (no intended) to progress with his walking and about his new life in Lincoln, I had a glimmer of an idea which I was unsure whether to broach.(Long story, short for now as it will continue) I said “I’m walking canals, you’re learning to walk again, you’re moving to Lincoln, there are canals at Lincoln, how do you fancy the challenge to walk with me next year.” Dean accepted the challenge enthusiastically (no surprise there) so it is now at the planning stage, much, much more later
Doug accepting his award
Doug with Dean