Here is an example of who the RAF Benevolent fund help:

 

Mike Goody

Senior Aircraftman Mike Goody was injured on his first tour of duty in Kandahar in 2008 when his patrol was hit by a roadside bomb. Trapped under his vehicle for three hours, he sustained severe injuries to his leg. After 14 operations over two and half years and the prospect of more operations with no guarantee of success, he had an elective amputation.

 

“When I had my prosthetic limb fitted, it actually improved my posture and mobility. It meant I could concentrate on the future.

 

“But having been self-reliant from the age of 18, losing my independence was a crushing blow for me. My Warrant Officer told me to get in contact with the RAFBF and that put me back on track and started a new chapter in my life. The RAFBF helped pay for an automatic car so that I could get my independence back. They also refitted my house and have more recently funded an Emergency Support Worker course that will support me in my studies to train as a paramedic.

 

“People might see me as being disabled because of my leg. If anything, I’d say I’m more able and more enthusiastic to go away and do stuff since I’ve been injured. I’ve had a lot of people tell me I can’t do something or I won’t complete something. I like to go away, do it, complete it, and excel at it if I can and then tell them exactly what I’ve done. Then move on to another challenge and do exactly the same with that.”