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Dave is the Armed Forces Peer Advisor for PAS UK, who’s prime beneficiaries are those with a military background across all branches, that require the services and advice from a military veteran that has lived experience of trauma.

Dave served in the British Army as a Recovery Mechanic and has also completed an operational tour of Afghanistan. He was attached to several different units and faced the challenges, camaraderie, and first-hand experience of the military life.

In 2022 he was severely injured in a near fatal motorcycle accident that left him with permanent life changing injuries. Amongst the vast plethora of injuries that he sustained was the exceptional damage to his right leg. After multiple lengthy operations, hours spent in a physiotherapy and hydrotherapy rooms, and special gait analysis and assessments by professionals, it was considered that the elective right leg transfemoral amputation was the best form of action.

After being flown into the UHNM by air ambulance and instantaneously placed into their special acute trauma rehabilitation unit, he started receiving treatment to rebuild his lower leg. Initially he was placed in an external fixator, drilled directly into the leg, and then later fitted with metalwork inserted directly into the bone.

Unfortunately, the severity of trauma caused to his right leg later dictated that Dave was to be moved to the RJAH to receive treatment and advice by their dedicated specialist knee team. As the options had all been exhausted, and treatment was merely just being repeated to no avail, it was decided that Dave would be better consulting a specialist oncology professor who dealt with transfemoral amputations. After serious consideration it was decided that this was the only viable option for a good standard of life.

Whilst rehabilitating in RJAH and the SMRC Dave noted that the Peer support element was missing for recent amputees and often found himself giving support to others, even so soon after having his own operation. PAS UK were the only team that visited his bedside to give kind, friendly, supportive advice, with regards finances, mobility equipment, and mental health support. The charity actually funded his lightweight wheelchair to allow him to regain the highest possible value of life outside the hospital with one leg.

Upon Dave being well enough to permanently leave hospital and start regaining his independence, Dave kept a remarkably close relationship with the team at PAS UK and expressed how he didn’t want to just be an advocate for them and a beneficiary of their services but would like to use his gained knowledge, experience and resilient attitude to become one of their amazing team!