‘You can do anything but it doesn’t just happen ... it takes hard work’
A veteran who lost both legs in a bomb blast in Afghanistan has paid tribute to the team who help keep him on his feet – by connecting to his prosthetics via Bluetooth. Kelly Williams reports
SHAUN Stocker is a regular patient at Wrexham Maelor’s Posture and Mobility Service (Pams), who use modern technology to make the small adjustments necessary to ensure he is comfortable.
The 28-year-old from Wrexham is currently appearing in Without Limits on BBC One, which follows a 1,000-mile expedition across Western Australia to mark the start of the Invictus Games in Sydney.
Prosthesis team leader Katie Davis and senior prosthetist Rachel Malcolm connect to Mr Stocker’s prosthetic legs via Bluetooth and make adjustments so that he can use them as he needs to and remain active.
Taking the time to ensure the alignment is right for both limbs is paramount and helps reduce strain on the joint.
Ms Davis said: “We make sure we have got a happy medium for any different angle of slope, whether it’s a little hill or a big hill, and it helps us protect him from any stumbles or trips.
“The adjustments can be small, but they can make a big difference so we have to test them out when going down stairs.
“Genuinely, we forget sometimes that Shaun’s an amputee because we have got to know him and the person is the most important part of the care we give.”
Mr Stocker got involved in the programme after receiving an email from Blind Veterans UK, asking who would be interested in applying to be on the show.
He was just 19 when he stepped on an improvised explosive device while serving in Helmand province with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, the Royal Welsh regiment.
He lost both legs and a large part of his sight and has since endured around 50 operations.
Ahead of his Australian ordeal, the Pams centre helped ensure his legs were adjusted and maintained to get him through the expedition, which involved travelling in adapted Land Rover vehicles and completing tough hikes, climbs, swims and river crossings across the unforgiving terrain.
They also made his prosthetic eye, which is hand-painted and finished with painstaking attention to detail by orbital prosthetist Clare Allen-Bull.
Mr Stocker, who met Prince Harry – creator of the Invictus Games – in Wellington barracks, said: “The terrain and topography in Australia is all damaged by the weather, so it was beautiful and it was amazing, but I’m probably the first prosthetics user to undertake that sort of terrain.
“I think we were the first people to go to some of the places we went to.
“It was an amazing challenge and, with me being the only prosthetics user there, it was quite hard work.”
Paying tribute to the PAMS team, Mr Stocker said: “They have to deal with a lot with me as a patient, but they help me a lot with the way I live my life. They always get me back up on my feet straightaway.
“I wouldn’t have been able to do it if they hadn’t fixed me up ready to go before the programme, so a lot of thanks goes to them.”
Mr Stocker made the headlines after becoming a dad to baby son Theo on Christmas Day 2015, despite losing his testicles in the explosion.
Following the blast, he was put into an induced coma to help his chances of survival and recovery, and it was then – in the first few hours after the blast – that doctors used a revolutionary new technique known as sperm salvage which meant he could one day become a father.
Mr Stocker spoke of how he meets his challenges, adding: “At one point they (the doctors) didn’t know if I could live life like this because I lost so much of my eyesight, but it’s been amazing.
“I was able to drive on this expedition and use hand controls.
“I wouldn’t have been able to do it if I didn’t put hours in the gym, climb mountains and walk miles every day.
“It’s like everything I’ve been through was a test for this programme.
“I hope it inspires a lot of people because it shows you can do anything but it doesn’t just happen, it takes a lot of hard work.”
■ The first episode of Without Limits is available on BBC iplayer. The second part is due to air tonight.