Providing support to limbless and injured veterans for life
Blesma, The Limbless Veterans, is dedicated to assisting serving and ex-Service men and women who have suffered life-changing limb loss or the use of a limb, an eye or loss of sight in the honourable service of our country.
Our Mission
To assist limbless veterans to lead independent and fulfilling lives
Blesma, The Limbless Veterans, is an Armed Forces charity dedicated to assisting serving and ex-Service men and women who have suffered life-changing limbloss or the use of a limb, an eye or sight. We support these men and women in their communities throughout the UK.
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Sharing 90 years of knowledge
Blesma members are helping Ukraine’s injured service personnel start to come to terms with living with limb loss. In April, Blesma magazine went along to the groundbreaking new project’s first face-to-face meeting in London. Ukrainian charities have thanked Blesma for providing a huge boost to their morale and knowledge after taking part in a groundbreaking collaborative project. The innovative idea, called Conversations: Розмови has paired Blesma Members with Ukrainian soldiers who are coming to terms with life after sustaining serious battlefield injuries. The opportunity for them to share their experiences and gain confidence to live independent and fulfilling lives has been hailed around the world for its impact on the beleaguered nation, which has recorded some 60,000 civilian and military amputees since the Russian invasion two years ago. The project has featured a series of online and in-person sessions with Blesma Members Mark Ormrod, Stephan van Niekerk, Darren Swift, Hari Budha Magar, Wali Noori, Colin Branch and Stu Pearson. In April, they were joined by six members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, including two who were about to take part in the TCS London Marathon. In-Person Workshop with Blesma Members and Ukrainian Marines Couch, the Ukrainian veteran Slava, is sharing his experience “I’d like to express my personal gratitude for your help in organising the meeting of our veterans in London,” wrote Olena Schmidt, President of the Citizen Charity Foundation, which campaigns to secure equipment and expertise for Ukrainian amputees and to raise awareness of the country’s continuing struggle. “From the team at the foundation, I am sending a letter of thanks to the entire Blesma team.” She added that the collaboration, which has been facilitated by The Drive Project, has supported the Ukrainian soldiers involved and generated vital knowledge and understanding that will be shared with other injured military veterans. “The aim of the project was for everybody to learn from one another whilst acknowledging and appreciating that these experiences would be different” The project was launched last November with an online link-up and was followed up with this in-person session before the London Marathon. Both sessions gave Ukrainian amputees vital insight into how to cope, both physically and psychologically, with limb loss. “When Blesma asked us to design a project that used the experiences and stories of its Members to support Ukrainians, we spent a long time considering what would be most useful for everyone involved,” says Grace Staniland, director of The Drive Project. “We wanted to keep it simple but make it impactful, bearing in mind the need for translators. Having worked with Blesma Members for a number of years we know how inspiring their stories are. For the project, we needed to ensure that we created a space in which everyone’s story was equal. Facilitated a conversation between Blesma members and Ukrainian veterans “The Ukrainians are living through a live conflict and as a result their recovery journeys are very different from Blesma Members’ experiences. The aim of the project was for everybody to learn from one another whilst acknowledging and appreciating that these experiences would be different. During the online and in-person workshops, we set up exercises and facilitated conversations for everyone to share what they hoped would be useful; from personal stories to small, manageable life tools that could be useful in everyday life. These were supportive spaces where everyone was open to listening, being curious and humble, and learning.” When the veterans met face to face at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London, they were able to discuss their military and personal experiences. “We see you guys as being very courageous. We are definitely starting a relationship and we are comrades, brothers in arms. Long may this continue” Darren Swift “It is a very worthwhile project to be involved in and I can only see it growing. It gives us a great sense of worth,” Blesma Member Darren Swift told the group on the day. “We are all amputees and we share a lot of similarities, but there are some stark differences. You guys have become injured and your country is still in conflict, whereas we were very fortunate that we went away to conflict and came back to relatively peaceful countries. “We see you guys as being very courageous. We are definitely starting a relationship and we are comrades, brothers in arms. Long may this continue.” Forming vital connections Blesma member Stu Pearson and Ukrainian marine Heorhii Ukrainian Marine Oleksii Ukrainian Marines Oleksii and Heorhii, who were both seriously wounded fighting against Russian invasion forces, said the connection was vital to their rehabilitation process, and that the knowledge and advice from Blesma Members would radiate around Ukraine’s amputee community. “Whilst we couldn’t represent everyone’s stories from either the UK or Ukraine, every story has value,” says Grace. “This project is about sharing lived experiences to raise awareness of living with limb loss and disability, and to share ideas on how to motivate oneself to get back to life. Hopefully, this is just the very first chapter in the story of shared experiences from Blesma Members and their Ukrainian friends.” Tony Bloomfield, Blesma’s Operations Director, adds: “The project has been a considerable success, and it has been a humbling experience to witness the participants’ journeys. The number of Ukrainian people to have lost limbs since the Russian invasion is around 60,000, and to make a comparison Blesma has helped around 65,000 Members throughout its 90-year history. “Ukraine is facing a monumental challenge that will resonate through the nation for years and generations to come. We’ve been able to offer psychological support and are helping with resources. Our Members have already experienced what these people are going through and, in typical Blesma style, have been delighted to help.” “Hopefully, this is just the very first chapter in the story of shared experiences from Blesma Members and their Ukrainian friends” If you are a Blesma Member and would like to find out more about how you can get involved in the programme going forward, please send an email to info@blesma.org to register your interest.
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One phone call changed everything
Cyril Crampin had no idea that he was entitled to a war pension until he spoke to Blesma decades after he was injured. To show his gratitude, he decided he would include the association in his will. A newspaper advert caught Cyril Crampin’s eye as he approached retirement. The former Royal Army Service Corps soldier responded to a Blesma advert offering advice about accessing a disabled rail card, but instead Cyril ended up getting help to correct a 36-year injustice after he was injured during National Service. That phone call led to Blesma staff guiding him towards a War Pension that had been denied him after he was involved in a road traffic accident as he left camp for Easter leave in 1955. Cyril, now 89, was knocked off his motorbike by a car overtaking on the wrong side of the road on a blind hill. He was left “unconscious for a week or so and sustained many injuries”, including the amputation of his right leg. Cyril Crampin, a former soldier in the Royal Army Service Corps Cyril and Hazel have been married for 63 years “Thankfully, I don’t recall anything about the accident itself – I just remember waking up in hospital and being told very firmly that the Forces were not liable in any way as I was leaving the barracks rather than going to them,” says Cyril, who was based at the Leaton Command Supply Depot, near Shrewsbury, during his National Service. “All those years went by and it was only when I saw the Blesma advert that I was able to finally get the War Pension thanks to the help from members of staff at Head Office.” Cyril has now been a Member for more than 30 years. He credits the Association with helping him and his wife Hazel, 83, enjoy a fuller life, and has made a gift in his Will to Blesma to show his appreciation. “Getting the War Pension made a difference to us, and getting it backdated has made our retirement more comfortable,” he says. “Blesma has always been there for us whenever we’ve needed support. I can pick up the phone to Head Office and someone is always happy to help. With a Will, you always look after your family first, but it is good and fitting to remember those who have helped you, and Blesma has certainly done that for us.” Remembering the Blitz Cyril, who has attended the Remembrance Parade at The Cenotaph with the Association for a number of years, had an earlier brush with tragedy as a five year old growing up in East London when the family’s shop was hit in a German WWII bombing raid. “The shop front was completely smashed and my father very nearly lost his life,” says Cyril. “We were in the back room under a table and managed to get out through the back door and get to the air raid shelter,” he says. “It was all very frightening for a five year old!” The family relocated to another part of east London and continued trading, but Cyril would go on to choose a career with British Rail rather than follow in the family business. Cyril worked in the continental travel department at Victoria Station until he was called up for National Service. He worked in the continental travel department at Victoria Station until he was called up for National Service. He was 18 months into his posting, and riding home on his BSA Bantam, when he was injured. “I don’t remember anything about the accident, which completely changed my life,” he says. “I was going up a hill when a car tried to overtake in the opposite direction. They said I couldn’t have avoided it. The car overturned a few times, but the driver of another car phoned the emergency services and I was taken to a hospital in Rugby. “They had to amputate my right leg after about a week because gangrene had set in, but I was grateful it was below the knee. Immediately, my attitude was that it was my life and I had to make the best of it. There was nothing I could have done differently to avoid the crash, my life changed completely in that one moment and I had to focus on recovering. “Immediately, my attitude was that it was my life and I had to make the best of it” “I did get compensation from the driver, but the Army was very clear that it was not liable. They said that if I had been returning to camp, I would have been covered and given a pension, but as I was leaving it was not their responsibility. I assumed that was right.” A happy and comfortable retirement Cyril was fitted with a prosthetic leg at Roehampton Hospital and carried on with his life, meeting Hazel during a trip from London to Sheffield to watch a singer perform. Romance blossomed and the couple have now been married for 63 years, and have two children, six grand-children and two great grandsons. A framed message from the late Queen Elizabeth II congratulating them on their diamond wedding anniversary has pride of place in their front room. Cyril and Hazel with their family “When I spotted the Blesma advert in a newspaper I wanted a bit of advice about rail tickets, but when they discovered I was an amputee they encouraged me to write to the Ministry of Defence – and to be persistent!” says Cyril. “It took quite a few letters, but after about two years the MoD said I was eligible for the pension, which was backdated. It has given us a happier and more comfortable retirement than we might have imagined.” Steve Burrell, BSO for London and the South East, is Cyril’s Support Officer. “It was great that we were initially able to help Cyril with his War Pension,” says Steve,“ but we are always assessing our Members’ needs, and last year provided Cyril and Hazel with some equipment to help them get about, as well as an Attendance Allowance for some home help. “We are committed to always being there for our Members. Cyril and Hazel understand what Blesma stands for and they clearly want to see our work continue into the future. They very much embody our ethos of Member supporting Member.” “With a Will, you always look after your family first, but it is good and fitting to remember those who have helped you, and Blesma has certainly done that for us” It is simple to leave a gift in your Will to Blesma so that the Association can continue its vital work supporting Members. Please see the panel (right) for more information on legacy giving
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Ryan Thomas served in the Royal Navy when his aorta ruptured, causing a life-changing stroke
Ryan Thomas was a Surgeon Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Navy when his aorta ruptured causing a life-changing stroke. his wife, Liz, left her career to steer their young family through whatever came next. Fast, cool and wow!” Ryan Thomas’ face lights up with a smile as he recalls the sweeping runs of La Plagne and the challenge of improving his sit-ski technique. “The food and hotel were great, too. It was all so good.” Ryan has aphasia so his speech is not fluent, but the joy that radiates from him as he talks is obvious. He has recently come back from Blesma’s ski week in the French Alps where the group were put through their paces every day by a dedicated team of instructors before enjoying the après-ski camaraderie of other veterans. “It was a fantastic week for all of us,” says Ryan’s wife, Liz. “Because Ryan was so well supported and his needs so well understood, we could all relax knowing that he was safe. He loved skiing before he had the stroke and it was fantastic for him to be able to get out on the slopes and enjoy it again. “He had been going through a particularly tough period dealing with his recovery and his sense of purpose, so the trip came at just the right time. He really loved it and loved being around other veterans.” Ryan was living life to the full as a Surgeon Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Navy when, at the age of 37 and destined for higher rank, he suffered a devastating stroke. It caused lasting cognitive and physical impairment, derailed his career and set his family on a difficult journey to recalibrate their lives and for Ryan to redefine his sense of purpose. Ryan was fully committed to his family – his children were aged just six and four at the time – and to the Royal Navy, where he revelled in the demands of four-month submarine missions and being an integral part of Faslane’s HMS Neptune Field Gun team. But all that changed in an instant some six years ago. He was still unconscious, but he started crying when he heard their voices and we thought: ‘He’s in there, he knows something.’ REHABILITATION “On the verge of starting a prestigious Masters’ course in occupational medicine, Ryan returned home from a regular day at the Institute of Naval Medicine in Gosport on 22 May 2018 and went to bed with a headache,” says Liz, who met Ryan just after she graduated in law from Southampton University where he was studying medicine after completing a pharmacology degree. “But in the middle of the night, I woke up to the sound of a crash. Ryan was on the floor trying to get back into bed. He was pulling things over as he tried to get back up, and it was clear there was something seriously wrong.” He was rushed to hospital and needed 12-hour surgery on his aorta – the largest blood vessel in the body that carries blood from the heart – as it had become damaged causing a blood clot to travel to his brain. Initially, surgeons had to battle to save Ryan’s life and then to minimise the damage caused by the clot which had restricted oxygen supply to his brain. “We had to wait for Ryan to wake up in intensive care to know the full extent by three months at Headley Court, where Ryan had spent time for his final medical training, and a further 16 months at The Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre at Stanford Hall. Words: Danny Buckland Photography: Andy Bate www.blesma.org 41 “We work on the basis of looking at what we are lucky to have, and we’re lucky to have a lot,” says Liz Thomas “I loved the Navy, all the training and being a submariner – I would have been in for life. “Our lives took a fork in the path and, because it was such an extreme turn, I don’t reflect back much. I don’t think it is helpful,” says Liz. “I don’t think we’ll ever quite get over what happened, so we look forward to each day and place a lot of focus on helping give the children the best life they can have. “We have met some amazing people and our lives have changed in different ways, and there are elements that I’m pleased have happened. We’ve met some really inspirational people who have become good friends. “We’ve always had a very positive outlook and enjoy the small wins – such of the neurological damage,” says Liz. “He didn’t respond to anything for the first three weeks until I brought the children into the Intensive Care Unit for the first time. He was still unconscious, but he started crying when he heard their voices and we thought: ‘He’s in there, he knows something.’ It was a wonderful moment. When he did wake up he had no speech, and no movement on his right hand side.” But the joy of having Ryan back was tempered by the reality of the difficult journey ahead. An initial period of rehab in Southampton Hospital was followed by three months at Headley Court, where Ryan had spent time for his final medical training, and a further 16 months at The Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre at Stanford Hall. “Our lives took a fork in the path and, because it was such an extreme turn, I don’t reflect back much. I don’t think it is helpful,” says Liz. “I don’t think we’ll ever quite get over what happened, so we look forward to each day and place a lot of focus on helping give the children the best life they can have. “We have met some amazing people and our lives have changed in different ways, and there are elements that I’m pleased have happened. We’ve met some really inspirational people who have become good friends. “We’ve always had a very positive outlook and enjoy the small wins – such as feeling grateful that the four of us are having our evening meal together.” Ryan, 42, is keen to make a significant point: “I’m alive,” he says smiling. “But Liz is a legend. Liz and the family. I am so pleased.” He proudly shows video clips on his phone that chart his progress, from using a wheelchair through to assisted walking with parallel bars and onto walking with only a stick for balance. “I loved the Navy, all the training and being a submariner – I would have been in for life,” he adds. The service memories are vivid. They are a fundamental part of who Ryan is and a motivating force behind his rehabilitation, which hit a challenge when he was discharged from hospital a month before the COVID lockdown. “We were due to have all sorts of support and carers and respite, but none of it happened. It was a tough time, and I’m not really sure how we coped,” adds Liz. “But it was also a very special time for our family because the children had more time with Ryan and it enabled us to learn as a family how this new life was going to be. It was very hard, but I love Ryan and we work on the basis of looking at what we are lucky to have, and we’re lucky to have a lot; we still have Ryan.” Ryan’s need for one-to-one care had made ski trips with Blesma seem out of reach until they spoke to Jess March, Blesma’s Activities Manager, on a glamping weekend for Members and their families in Somerset. “It was a great weekend, and having connections with other veterans makes a difference,” says Liz. “It was also good for the children as everyone there had injured dads or mums and it didn’t matter, everyone accepted each other for who they were. “Ryan loved skiing before the stroke and we started talking to Jess even though we didn’t think it would be possible for him to get the right support to truly enjoy the ski trip. But she managed to get him one-to-one support and it turned out that Stacey Mitchell, who Ryan met during his rehab, was also going on the trip, so that was extra reassurance for him.” Ryan loved skiing before the stroke and we started talking to Jess even though we didn’t think it would be possible for him to get the right support to truly enjoy the ski trip. FINDING YOUR PURPOSE “When you’ve always worked and been in the military, working towards your next promotion or your next time away, it is difficult to lose that sense of purpose, and Ryan really struggled with those questions of: ‘Who am I and what am I doing?’” says Liz. “Ryan is generally quite motivated, but at the end of last summer he was particularly struggling with what to look forward to and stay fit for. Going to La Plagne gave him a purpose, and being with other veterans gave him an extra boost. They recognise what each other is going through and lift each other.” His sense of commitment to his family and their future shine brightly, and his painstaking weeding of the garden flower beds at their home is testimony to his physical determination to challenge everything the stroke has thrown at him. On a wall near the door of their house is a framed poster of inspirational quotes. Every one of them is a component of the family’s positive approach to adversity and the narrative of how the support of comrades can lift the spirits and defy physical odds. “Veterans understand each other and we talk about the same things,” says Ryan. “In the Navy, I loved being a doctor and taking part in the field gun competitions. Most of all, I loved the camaraderie. It means so much, and we had that on the trip.”
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Whether you want to organise a big fundraiser in a group, take part in a Charity Event, complete a Charity Challenge on your own, or get your company involved in raising money for our limbless veterans, then go to our fundraising pages where you will find all the information you need, as well as events you can be part of.
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