Standing Tall

Corporal Andy Reid was an ordinary soldier, serving in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. But his life changed for ever on Tuesday 13 October 2009, when he was blown up by a Taliban improved explosive device (IED). Evacuated to the UK, it was touch-and-go whether he would survive. He had lost both legs and his right arm, while the index finger of his left hand was almost completely removed. Yet survive he did and less than a month after being blown up, he was reunited with his patrol back in Warminster. From there he went on to have a pair of prosthetic legs fitted, and this allowed him to go on a cruise with his fiancee Claire in 2010. In the same year, he was nominated for and won the Sun's Military Award. In between he has cycled from Land's End to John O'Groats, skydived and made a number of appearances on behalf of service charities. Andy's story demonstrates how, with patience, courage and determination, hope can triumph over despair. He is not seeking pity or admiration.But he does want to make sure that we, the general public, know, as much as someone who has not been there or been through it themselves can ever know, what operations in Afghanistan are like, what happens to those who get injured and what future they might have. This is the incredible story of a truly inspirational man.