People we've helped - Peter
"It began like any other routine patrol... I was returning to base through Helmand province with two comrades from my regiment, when our Viking vehicle hit a hidden makeshift mine," Lance Corporal Peter Dunning, of the Armoured Support Group Royal Marines, reliving the experience in May 2008 that changed his life.
In the split-second of the explosion – so forceful it blasted the six tonne cab 20 feet – Peter and Marc Goddard were left with terrible wounds. Tragically, their comrade Dale Gostick was killed.
Unconscious, Peter was taken to Camp Bastion, the field hospital in Helmand province. He had severe burns and extremely badly damaged legs and was so very dangerously ill that he was flown back as an emergency to Selly Oak hospital in Birmingham.
When he regained consciousness he was told that both his legs had been amputated, one from above the knee, the other through the knee. His worried family kept a round the clock vigil at his bedside, waiting for Peter to show signs of improvement.
He spent five gruelling months lying on his back in hospital, unable even to turn over in bed. For a young man who was previously very active and loved a game of rugby, it was devastating.
Learning to walk again
Peter was determined to regain as much independence as possible – the day he learnt to use a wheelchair was a milestone and he celebrated by going shopping. But Peter longed to be able to stand on his own two feet, in every meaning.
At Headley Court, the centre that helps to rehabilitate so many badly injured Service men and women, Peter was fitted with prosthetic legs. Although he found it very painful at first to adapt to them, he put in long hours getting used to walking again.
Now, not only has he learnt to walk, he is also a member of the combined services’ disabled ski team, so he is still able to enjoy a sport he loves and represent his country.
A fighting spirit and determination
Peter has amazed everyone. He has shown incredible courage, determination and perseverance – only ten months after the explosion, he was back in a Royal Marine uniform and now has a desk job at RNAS Yeovilton.
In an interview with the Liverpool Echo, Peter said, "It' not the job I signed up to do, but it’s the job I've got." In the future, he would also like to use his experiences to help other Service men and women who find themselves in a similar situation cope with life-changing injuries.
Peter was there for his country. We’re here for him. When we heard Peter’s story, we were proud to help him in any way we could so that this young man could get on with living his life as independently as possible. When Peter is not at the base in Yeovilton he lives with his parents in Wallasey. Amongst other aids to make his daily life easier, we provided the funds for a level shower room. This means its easier for Peter to shower, and it gives him independence and dignity.
"I didn't know The Royal British Legion helped people like me. I thought they were all about the older veterans and didn't realise that it helps those still in service. The support that the Legion has offered me since my accident has been great. They are helping me to live my life as best I can by making my day-to-day living easier."
Like Peter, many of our troops who are currently serving on operations in Afghanistan are only in their twenties. The horrific injuries that they sustain – or the mental trauma they experience – often change their lives completely. Such is the improvement in field medicine and surgery, many battlefield casualties now are surviving injuries that even ten years ago would have killed them. As a result, these young people will need a lifetime of care. These are the young veterans of today who will continue to need the Legion’s help and support for many years to come. We must be here for them.
