Afghanistan veteran from Bognor Regis tells of his road to recovery

Former Senior Aircraftsman Mike Goody was on patrol with the RAF Regiment in Afghanistan in 2008, when his vehicle struck the deadly device.

The impact shattered almost every bone in his lower leg and he was trapped under the vehicle for three agonising hours. Once rescued, he endured two and half years of painful rehab before deciding to have his leg amputated below the knee. It was a painful decision, but he said the RAF Benevolent Fund was with him through every part of the process: “Obviously the most challenging experience was getting blown up. It was a bit of a career-ender and certainly a life-changing moment,” he explained.

"It’s one of those things that I didn’t handle very well from the outset. Quite soon after leaving hospital, I turned to alcohol as a coping strategy. It didn't go well and I ended up being a clinical alcoholic at my young age, as well as ending up being addicted to my pain medication, all whilst not in the best of head spaces. But I battled hard through that and came through the other side.

“It is a shame that the RAF Benevolent Fund needs to exist, but the fact that is does exist is amazing, because there have been so many times that I’ve found myself struggling or my family has needed some help or guidance. It is somewhere I can go to and say, ‘I’m in a bit of a rut here, I’m stuck, or I need some help.’

"“When I lost my father, I was holding myself together for my mum and not grieving for myself. I knew from the turmoil I was experiencing I was going to need help and I plucked up the courage to contact the NHS, but the waiting list was six months. The Fund then stepped in and got me chatting to a one-to-one counsellor within 24 hours. If the RAF Benevolent Fund wasn’t there at that point, who knows what would’ve happened.”

Now 37, Mr Goody volunteers with the Air Cadets, introducing young people to the kind of military discipline which carried him through his trials, and claims to have a new lease on life: “I went through such a dark time, but now I live life to the full. My wife and I now go on nice holidays and if we want to do something we just and do it, because there is no point in taking a back seat in life. So, I’d say from the massive negativity and struggles I experienced for a few years, I’ve now changed my outlook on life and feel much more positive.”

He even recalls his time with the RAF Regiment somewhat fondly, adding that he’s still in touch with many of his squad mates. He said: “Parts of it were scary. As soon as you left the wire you didn’t know what was ahead of you, it was a bit of an adrenaline rush. You never knew what was going to happen when you were on deployment, but you were with your brothers and whatever happened, you faced it together.”

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