Theodore Roosevelt said, ‘A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards. More than that no man is entitled to, and less than that no man shall have.’
And so say all of us. The harsh truth, however, is that nations do not adequately look after the maimed and disabled young people who have carried out their governments’ orders – it is left to charity.
Help for Heroes (H4H) is a charity launched in October 2007 to raise funds to support the young men and women of British armed forces who have suffered life-changing injuries. They will bear their scars for the rest of their lives.
H4H helps young people to regain their confidence and face life afresh in circumstances they may never have imagined.
In 2005 Matthew joined the army. In 2009 he was sent to Afghanistan with 2nd Battalion The Rifles. In June he stepped on a bomb hidden in the ground, losing his left leg and sustaining severe injuries to his left arm. He was 24.
Within hours he had been flown back to UK for life-saving surgery and intensive care in Selly Oak Hospital, Birmingham. He remained there for eight weeks and spent a further twelve months at the rehabilitation centre, Headley Court.
Although he had wanted to return to the front line he realised that was impossible so had to rethink his life.
Just a year after losing his leg H4H helped fund a scholarship to allow Matthew to gain his personal pilot’s license with the ultimate goal of becoming a commercial pilot.
The charity has raised almost 94,000 million since its inception. All the money raised is used for the rehabilitation and retraining of injured service personnel. Administration charges are met from the sale of H4H merchandise, ranging from H4H wrist bands at £2:00 as worn by Princes William and Harry and sporting personalities like David Beckham to bracelets at £90:00.
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~Deirdra
What a wonderful thing he has done. It's amazing what the medical profession has been able to do to save lives due to war injuries.
ReplyDeleteYes, I remember reading about H4H earlier. What a kind,motivated and wonderful organisation!
ReplyDeleteHa..Buddy seems to have a very active digestion because though i feared all that liver to come up or go down badly, absolutely nothing has happened!!We still can't stop laughing everytime we look at his face begging for table treats. We know now what exactly he is capable of!!
ReplyDeletewe don't do enough here in the states either
ReplyDeletelots of flag wavers are the first to cut funding
I volunteer at the VFW, the guys are so appreciative and they tell the best stories
great post
thanks for the info
As horrible it is to lose your life (of the life of a loved one) there does seem to be a lot of emphasis placed on how many fatalities we have had during these wars (and conflicts) and very little attention paid to the many, many who survive but are maimed for life. It is good to hear of some success stories for support and rehabilitation.
ReplyDeleteWhat an inspiring organisation. We can never do too much for these great heroes who have to live a lifetime with their wounds
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a most worthwhile charity. I don't think we give our veterans a fair shake here in the US, either.
ReplyDeleteHelp for Heroes sounds like my kind of charity. I agree that those who serve their country well should be taken care of well if they return home injured mentally or physically. I cry for the many young men and women who have been sooooo injured.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a wonderful organization. I've never heard of them. I am all for supporting our vets who truly put their lives on the line for their country.
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