I spent two weeks in a coma having been blown up while on foot patrol with 2nd battalion the Rifles unit in Afghanistan. “The doctors told my family if I came out of it I would be left like a vegetable. When I got back to my hometown I was forgotten about by the Army.
Keith and his family now volunteer for Beyond the Battlefield after he survived a Taliban explosion in Afghanistan that killed his interpreter. “I was walking along an alley and because I had a radio and antennae on my back I was visible above the wall,” he said. A guy on a motorbike detonated an IED (improvised explosive device) that had been attached to the wall. “I can still remember the explosion. My interpreter was killed immediately.” Keith spent two weeks in a coma and three months in intensive care. Doctors who initially treated him did not expect him to live but he defied medical experts to recover from his horrific wounds, although the mental trauma will never heal. “There were 87 men in my regiment who were seriously injured. We were all pensioned off and left to fend for ourselves,” Keith added. “I was in a really bad place until I found out about Beyond the Battlefield when I saw one of its stands in a shopping centre.” I had been to Combat Stress, British Legion and many others who did not help me at all……

Most people tell you what they think you want to hear: Having played rugby for the Battalion and being involved in an incident in Iraq 2007 and further service in Afghanistan, I needed 2 new hips.

To treat this, I self- medicated with ibuprofen as medicals at the time failed to pick this up and therefore, I ended up severely injured due to a lack of care during Service. In my opinion they didn’t carry out their duty and as a result, I am waiting on an operation for new hips. Because of this I am now on 70% up from 30% thanks to Beyond the Battlefield. I contacted many charities but got passed from one to the other as a sign posting exercise. Beyond the Battlefield tackle veterans problems head on and deal with it until they have succeeded. Thanks to Annemarie and Rab for everything they did to help me.

The Reserve Forces Compensation scheme is rarely touched, and members feel they can’t claim.

I was suffering badly with PTSD and Beyond The Battlefield got me the help I needed. I am so greatly to the team for helping me get my life back on track. Beyond The Battlefield really go out of their way to ensure you receive the best possible treatment and it is important former servicemen and women get in touch at times of need.

Many thanks to the team at Beyond The Battlefield for their help and support. They were the shoulder I needed when no one else would listen. The help and support provided by Robert and his team has changed my life and I cannot thank them enough!

The guys at Beyond The Battlefield help me with issues that I was having obtaining financial support. The team were friendly and ensured I knew all the options available to me. I would recommend any former Armed Forces personnel to make contact!