Success Stories

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.

2000 joined Army RIR Served 5 years NI
Public order scenarios
Iraq 2005 – Basra
Joined Rifles 2007 Kosovo 2008
Afghanistan 2009
Injured June 2009 by command wire ID.
Severed main artery neck, lung damage and eye damage, voice box severed.
Hedley Court June – August 2009 10 day coma
Moved to Hedley Court London in August
Learned how to walk, talk and function daily routines and chores.
Sent back to his Btn. Feb 2010. Few operations for more treatments Selly Oak and Queen Elizabeth Hospital then another month Hedley Court August 2010 for more treatment.
Back to Btn. Medical board – Nov 2010 – same day medically discharged out next day.
No one to turn too no one to ask – SAFFA sent me to civil counselling care call Belfast for six weeks only, she cried felt worse – started drinking bingeing – Combat Stress – said I needed a holiday – sent me to Portrush – didn’t go wasn’t what I needed. Combat stress came out to my house once a month. Talked about himself – no interest in my problems. I was suffering from PTSD – all this time no help of the right type. My Mother was in a shopping centre collection and picked up a card from Beyond the Battlefield. I was going through divorce, struggling PTSD issues, needed somewhere to live, needed counselling and was finding it really tight on housing benefit.
Robert McCartney – settled me down, easy to talk to and relate to, I immediately felt secure and in a trusting environment– combat stress was not interested, was mostly CPNs (nurses) they could not relate to me and what I had been through.
Needed maintenance for kids – Rab wrote letters – gave advice went over and above to help me and my whole family.
Seeing Rab and Annemarie – there was help at last!!! – Care Call could not help with the right type of Counselling and could not do in six weeks what I needed as a struggling veteran; you can’t put that in 6 weeks – it’s an ongoing care process in your life. No short measures, no short fix, no magic word and cured, it just doesn’t happen that way. Thank God for Beyond the Battlefield.

William is another who was left to fend for himself after four tours of Afghanistan with the Mercian Regiment he was left with terrible mental scars. “I give my life to the Army and as soon as I suffered PTSD that was it, they didn’t want to know,” he explained. “Last year I was made homeless two weeks before Christmas. “I f*****g hate them. I feel so let down, not by the boys in my regiment who are brilliant, but by the bosses.” William is another who credits the charity Beyond the Battlefield with turning his life around. He said: “I’ve got PTSD and non-seizure epilepsy from being in too many explosions. I get flashbacks and my brain basically shuts down. I was in 10 explosions during four tours of Afghanistan.” After being medically retired Jason was made homeless two weeks before Christmas. It was only after a friend put him in touch with Beyond the Battlefield that he got his life back on track. “I owe Rab, annemarie and their team so much. They have helped me with housing, counselling and putting me in the right direction,” said William. “there are a lot of other soldiers out there suffering in silence. I’ve a mate whose legs were blown off in Afghanistan. He ended up taking an overdose. This shouldn’t be happening, and I’d urge any veteran who needs help to contact Beyond the Battlefield.

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!