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| Waking up with no legs | Waking up with no legs |
| (22 minutes later) | |
| The deaths of soldiers in Afghanistan are reported in the news with depressing regularity. But what about all the people who are wounded, some of whom suffer terrible injuries? | The deaths of soldiers in Afghanistan are reported in the news with depressing regularity. But what about all the people who are wounded, some of whom suffer terrible injuries? |
| Three weeks after an explosion in Afghanistan, Andy, 19, was about to wake up. | Three weeks after an explosion in Afghanistan, Andy, 19, was about to wake up. |
| He had to come to terms with the fact he had lost both his legs and he couldn't see. | He had to come to terms with the fact he had lost both his legs and he couldn't see. |
| Staff at Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham, where he was being treated, expected him to be initially terrified. | Staff at Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham, where he was being treated, expected him to be initially terrified. |
| FIND OUT MORE... Wounded is on BBC One on Weds 23 SeptemberThe first part is at 2100 BST and the second part is at 2235 BSTOr catch up using the iPlayer Inside Selly Oak hospital - how medics handle the injured | FIND OUT MORE... Wounded is on BBC One on Weds 23 SeptemberThe first part is at 2100 BST and the second part is at 2235 BSTOr catch up using the iPlayer Inside Selly Oak hospital - how medics handle the injured |
| His mother was by his bedside, holding his hand and reassuring him that he would be OK. He couldn't speak so a squeeze of her hand was the only response he could manage. | His mother was by his bedside, holding his hand and reassuring him that he would be OK. He couldn't speak so a squeeze of her hand was the only response he could manage. |
| Ranger Andy Allen, from the Royal Irish Regiment, had his right leg blown off and left leg shredded by a makeshift bomb while on an early morning patrol. | Ranger Andy Allen, from the Royal Irish Regiment, had his right leg blown off and left leg shredded by a makeshift bomb while on an early morning patrol. |
| Less than 48 hours later, he was flown to Birmingham, where surgeons initially saved his left leg. But the blast had driven mud and sand into his wounds and a fungal infection set in. His leg had to be amputated to save his life. The force of the explosion also ripped Andy's gums from his teeth. | Less than 48 hours later, he was flown to Birmingham, where surgeons initially saved his left leg. But the blast had driven mud and sand into his wounds and a fungal infection set in. His leg had to be amputated to save his life. The force of the explosion also ripped Andy's gums from his teeth. |
| The surfaces of his eyes were so badly burnt that a special membrane was imported from the US to help reduce the scarring. Four weeks after the incident, Andy was out of danger, but he did not know if he would be permanently blind. | The surfaces of his eyes were so badly burnt that a special membrane was imported from the US to help reduce the scarring. Four weeks after the incident, Andy was out of danger, but he did not know if he would be permanently blind. |
| Tom Neathway lost three limbs but learnt to walk again | Tom Neathway lost three limbs but learnt to walk again |
| That's when the psychological traumas began as he tried to deal with what his life would be like. | That's when the psychological traumas began as he tried to deal with what his life would be like. |
| It took six weeks before Andy could speak again, after the effects of a tracheotomy had worn off. | It took six weeks before Andy could speak again, after the effects of a tracheotomy had worn off. |
| "I think if people weren't really strong for me I wouldn't get through it, I'm very lucky I've got them there," he said. | "I think if people weren't really strong for me I wouldn't get through it, I'm very lucky I've got them there," he said. |
| Reflecting on the trauma of losing his limbs, he was sanguine in the face of such horrific injuries. | Reflecting on the trauma of losing his limbs, he was sanguine in the face of such horrific injuries. |
| "Life goes on and I'm just glad that none of my friends were injured. It could have been a lot worse. It could have taken me and a couple of my friends." | "Life goes on and I'm just glad that none of my friends were injured. It could have been a lot worse. It could have taken me and a couple of my friends." |
| Andy's pregnant girlfriend Natalie Keenan, now 21, had also kept a vigil at his bedside in those early days. | Andy's pregnant girlfriend Natalie Keenan, now 21, had also kept a vigil at his bedside in those early days. |
| "Coming in to see him for the first time, I think that was the hardest bit," she said. | "Coming in to see him for the first time, I think that was the hardest bit," she said. |
| "I'm not staying with him because of his injuries, I'm staying with him because I love him and I wouldn't do that. Nothing's changed." | "I'm not staying with him because of his injuries, I'm staying with him because I love him and I wouldn't do that. Nothing's changed." |
| Missed son's birth | Missed son's birth |
| Rehabilitation was excruciatingly hard. Andy can't even sit up for his eye examinations because he had lost so much muscle tissue. And being woken every two hours during the night for eye-drops took its emotional toll. | Rehabilitation was excruciatingly hard. Andy can't even sit up for his eye examinations because he had lost so much muscle tissue. And being woken every two hours during the night for eye-drops took its emotional toll. |
| "When you get up in the morning you need to just say to yourself 'I'm going to the gym, I need to get myself motivated for it'. | "When you get up in the morning you need to just say to yourself 'I'm going to the gym, I need to get myself motivated for it'. |
| Andy was able to see his son for the first time after an eye operation | Andy was able to see his son for the first time after an eye operation |
| "I was thinking to myself 'Belfast, get home, see all my mates and my sister and kid brother.'" | "I was thinking to myself 'Belfast, get home, see all my mates and my sister and kid brother.'" |
| He was moved to the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court in Surrey, where he could begin to learn to walk, but bone growth in his stumps caused him a lot of pain. | He was moved to the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court in Surrey, where he could begin to learn to walk, but bone growth in his stumps caused him a lot of pain. |
| Three months after the incident, a trip home to Belfast is proving a morale booster but he was not able to be there for the birth of his son Carter. | Three months after the incident, a trip home to Belfast is proving a morale booster but he was not able to be there for the birth of his son Carter. |
| A cataract operation has given Andy enough sight to help with mobility and see his baby son, which is a significant boost for a man who faces a further two years in and out of Headley Court. | A cataract operation has given Andy enough sight to help with mobility and see his baby son, which is a significant boost for a man who faces a further two years in and out of Headley Court. |
| "At the end of the day me and Natalie are happy together and we've got the child," he says. | "At the end of the day me and Natalie are happy together and we've got the child," he says. |
| "Just because I've lost my legs, big wow, its not the end of the world. We've a life to look forward to." | "Just because I've lost my legs, big wow, its not the end of the world. We've a life to look forward to." |
| So far this year, 299 wounded soldiers have been treated at Selly Oak and Headley Court, special Ministry of Defence medical centres. | So far this year, 299 wounded soldiers have been treated at Selly Oak and Headley Court, special Ministry of Defence medical centres. |
| At Headley Court, Andy was in rehab with Paratrooper Lance Corporal Tom Neathway, 25, from Worcestershire. | At Headley Court, Andy was in rehab with Paratrooper Lance Corporal Tom Neathway, 25, from Worcestershire. |
| I was gutted for about 10 minutes Tom Neathway Read more about Tom's story | I was gutted for about 10 minutes Tom Neathway Read more about Tom's story |
| An improvised bomb blew off both of Tom's legs and his left arm was so badly damaged it had to be amputated. He had 13 major operations and his heart stopped three times. | An improvised bomb blew off both of Tom's legs and his left arm was so badly damaged it had to be amputated. He had 13 major operations and his heart stopped three times. |
| But after five weeks in hospital, Tom could recall exactly what happened. | But after five weeks in hospital, Tom could recall exactly what happened. |
| "I just remember moving the sandbag, and the explosion happened. It's like getting rugby tackled I suppose, your legs went straight from underneath you, I remember falling down straight away. | "I just remember moving the sandbag, and the explosion happened. It's like getting rugby tackled I suppose, your legs went straight from underneath you, I remember falling down straight away. |
| "I've been told that one guy did die extracting me out, by an IED as well - there's nothing I can say to thank him. I mean I appreciate what he did 100%." | "I've been told that one guy did die extracting me out, by an IED as well - there's nothing I can say to thank him. I mean I appreciate what he did 100%." |
| Tom's progress stunned the nurses | Tom's progress stunned the nurses |
| Tom recounted with almost disconcerting blitheness that when he went to Afghanistan he was 6ft tall, and now he was only 4ft. But steely determination saw him walking on artificial legs in time to receive his campaign medal from Prince Charles with the rest of his regiment. | Tom recounted with almost disconcerting blitheness that when he went to Afghanistan he was 6ft tall, and now he was only 4ft. But steely determination saw him walking on artificial legs in time to receive his campaign medal from Prince Charles with the rest of his regiment. |
| Since then, Tom has been getting on with life, recently starting work at the parachute school at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. | Since then, Tom has been getting on with life, recently starting work at the parachute school at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. |
| "I've got three amputations, that's it, I've got no other problems with me whatsoever. | "I've got three amputations, that's it, I've got no other problems with me whatsoever. |
| "I've always said I'd rather it happen to me and for me to be the way I am now, than for it to happen to one of my mates and them be killed." | "I've always said I'd rather it happen to me and for me to be the way I am now, than for it to happen to one of my mates and them be killed." |
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