Blesma News
Latest news from Blesma, The Limbless Veterans
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Korean War veteran and Blesma Member Albert Hazeltine tells his story.
27 July 2020
Albert Hazeltine lost a leg in the Korean War, and in recent years had to have his below-knee amputation taken above the knee. He was a latecomer to Blesma, but soon became a great fan! How did you get involved with the military?I’m from London, but I eventually moved away and began working on farms on the Isle of Wight. When it was time to do my two years of military service, I thought I might as well join up properly and get paid for it. I joined the Royal Artillery and was attached to the Maintenance Corps. I learned how to drive tanks, a
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Kirk quick to RE:ACT to help those on the front line
26 July 2020
Eager to use his military experience to help those on the coronavirus front line, Blesma Member Kirk Bowett began volunteering with disaster response charity Op RE:ACT (previously Team Rubicon UK) in April. The former Infantryman was part of a group of 20 tasked with supporting NHS staff at Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospitals in London at the peak of the pandemic. “Hospital staff were working 12-hour shifts and were then unable to find food as everyone was panic buying,” said Kirk, who lost his left arm below the elbow in an IED attack in Iraq in 2013.
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Blesma at Home workout (Level 1 Session 4)
24 July 2020
Gregg Stevenson has devised a weekly home workout especially for his fellow Members, to help us keep our mind and bodies healthy during lock-down. Macro alias: InsertQuote Former Royal Engineer Gregg lost one leg above and the other below the knee after triggering an IED while on patrol in Afghanistan in 2009. During his rehabilitation he gained weight, and at the same time was looking at how he could improve his situation. It was a long road to recovery, but he decided the an
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Life through a lens in a time of change
23 July 2020
The newly formed South West Photography Group is showcasing and sharing beautiful moments during the coronavirus lockdown. The group of 16, which was formed by Members Neil Owen and Darran Thompson, only met for the first time in January. They were planning to get together and socialise once a month on photography day trips but have had to adapt, and instead are showcasing their photographic creativity under government lockdown rules. “A lot of our Members live on their own and have nothing to do, so I thought a competition would cheer them up and give them a
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