Lydia did so much to help veterans like me
Lydia had her legs amputated below the knee after a GP failed to diagnose meningitis, believing it was a virus. She endured years of pain and operations as she grew but the incredible little girl battled through with remarkable courage and fortitude.
She first met Mark at the Headley Court military hospital in Surrey in 2008 when she was just six – and threw herself into fundraising for injured heroes.
Lydia recalled: “I remember seeing Mark and other soldiers on the television after returning from war and it was just an instinct to want to help.
“It was also a challenge for me to show I could still do things even though I had lost my legs too.
“I started off by swimming a mile and then I did a big run with Mark and some other Marines to raise funds and awareness for military charities.
“The fundraising just snowballed from there, doing cake sales and a mini wheelchair marathon, raising £78,000. I was even privileged to launch the Poppy Appeal one year with Mark.”
She also lobbied Princes William and Harry for help to make the lives of our injured soldiers more bearable. Mark – who was hailed as Prince Harry’s hero – told how the courage of a little girl with no legs helped pull him through his darkest hours. The Commando stepped on a landmine on Christmas Eve 2007 while on patrol in Helmand – losing his right arm and both legs above the knee. He said: “I was still at Headley Court Rehabilitation Centre when Lydia came to visit. I had spent a long time in hospital in despair but I was determined to reclaim my life despite being told I would never walk again. There were moments in the early days when I wanted to end it all – and then there was Lydia. An incredible little girl with no legs just like me who was always smiling and doing things to help others.
“Her attitude was amazing and changed my outlook. If this little girl could be so happy and helpful, then what excuse did a tough Marine have not to rise to the challenge? She showed me that you can dig deep and achieve whatever you want if you have the grit and determination.
“A little girl taught me how to help others and not be selfish. She really is a remarkable girl and I’m very proud to call her and her family my friends.
“Now it’s my turn to help her in her campaign against meningitis.”
Lydia is an ambassador for the Meningitis Research Foundation and wants to see more children vacci-