RAF veteran with leg injury awarded special poppy
BBCAn RAF veteran whose legs were crushed in an accident said he was grateful to be awarded a special poppy at the launch of the annual Royal British Legion (RBL) poppy appeal.
Neil Fellingham, 38, was honoured at the Battle Back Centre in Lilleshall, Shropshire, on Thursday with a commemorative poppy made from the metal of World War Two Spitfires.
The ex-serviceman, who served in the RAF for more than 12 years as a senior aircraftsman technician, said it was a "huge opportunity" to say thank you to the armed forces community and "other people like me".
"Very grateful to receive a wonderful, very bespoke custom poppy," he said.
"I just want to say a huge thank you to the entire armed forces community for service, as well as our entire community, because without the support and donations that we need, the RBL isn't able to support veterans like myself and my family."
As part of the RBL's national launch, three service personnel travelled across the country to deliver five special poppies, with the annual poppy appeal aiming to raise more than £50m to support veterans.
Fellingham, from Ipswich, was seriously injured when he was run over by a car he was helping to repair in August 2018.
"I was crushed between two cars. "I sustained a break to my left leg... unfortunately some undiagnosed nerve -elated issues were later then found.
"So, at the moment, I'm waiting for amputation. My left leg is incredibly, incredibly painful all the time."
Fellingham was supported through his injuries by the charity and later went onto to take part in the Invictus Games in Canada, competing in wheelchair basketball and alpine skiing. He aded that he "loved every minute".
He praised the RBL, which he said continued to support veterans when they needed it the most.
"My wife has been with me through that entire process, same as my mum and dad. And in that time, we're also very fortunate to be able to have our little girl Poppy, name completely unrelated to the poppy appeal," Fellingham explained.
"To be able to share today with them means an awful lot to us because they've witnessed me go through being able-bodied... to needing an awful lot of help and support."
Sgt Cameron Lewis said it made him proud to be chosen to deliver the poppy to Fellingham and his family.
"I'm currently serving. To be recognised to help out and give back to the service which has helped me, it's an honour really."
Sarah Hulme, RBL programmes manager and a former RAF veteran, described how the charity runs recovery courses for the injured, wounded and sick at the Battle Back Centre.
She said veterans, who were of "all different ages", could sometimes feel forgotten in society, and that the poppy reminded the community that they were remembered.
"We have veterans from 23-years-old... to I think a couple of weeks ago we had an 88-year-old, the oldest veteran that we had," she said.
"Sometimes when you say veteran, people almost stereotype it's an elderly veteran, however, there are a lot of younger veterans out there."
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