Blesma News
Latest news from Blesma, The Limbless Veterans
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Scottish barefoot challenge certainly no walk in the park
14 February 2023
Lanarkshire fitness instructor and Army veteran has completed a 96-mile walk barefooted across the West Highland Way in aid of Blesma. Craig Curtis admitted the challenge was the hardest he had ever faced. The seven-day event resulted in Craig having to use crutches for large sections of the route, despite having spent several months preparing his feet for what he knew would be tough terrain. After a couple of days my feet were getting ripped to shreds “It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done; I was on crutches for two days and my whol
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Meet Blesma Member David Dent MBE
10 February 2023
David Dent, 56, from Lanarkshire in Scotland, has already lived an extraordinary life Since being injured while serving in the Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps, he has become a sportsman, a leading advocate for disabled veterans, a university lecturer, an executive director of a major company, and a consultant for the Scottish Government. Oh, and he is the third consecutive generation of his family to be awarded an MBE. How come you chos
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In the spotlight: Royal Navy veteran Nick Richardson
31 January 2023
In the spotlight Having joined the Royal Navy in the late 1980s, I picked up a serious ankle injury very early in training. There was little in the way of rehabilitation available at the time, and as a result I have lived with ankle pain ever since. As I got older this pain became more of a problem, and I was diagnosed with degenerative arthritis in my right ankle in 2007. This was made significantly worse in 2009 when I was injured again, this time shredding a ligament and permanently damaging a nerve in the left side of my pelvi
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Blesma Widow Bonnie Harrison has lived for more than 40 years with a hidden disability. This is her story
16 January 2023
For most Blesma Members, their disability is visible – bringing with it both positive and negative attention. For others, however, a ‘hidden disability’ creates a whole different set of issues. Bonnie Harrison, 79, knows that more than anyone. After developing cervical cancer when she was just 34 years old, she was treated with radiotherapy which resulted in severe intestinal issues. She has had to live her life ever since managing the condition, and it’s not been easy. “Hidden disability can be very frustrating, and people
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