A former British soldier has spoken for the first time about the devastating moment he lost both his legs after stepping on an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in Afghanistan, an incident that nearly claimed his life.
The Fateful Patrol That Changed Everything
Luke, whose full story is revealed in a new Channel 5 documentary, was just weeks into his first tour of duty when his life was irrevocably altered. During a routine foot patrol near a Taliban stronghold, he was placed on overwatch while colleagues searched a compound. "I just got up and walked around and that's when I stood on an IED," he recounts in an exclusive clip released to the Daily Mail.
He points to a photograph from the scene, noting the device was tragically missed during the initial search. The blast was catastrophic. "I lost both my legs above the knee straight away," Luke explains. The explosion also caused severe damage to his left arm and hand, broke his pelvis in three places, and triggered a cardiac arrest that lasted for nine minutes.
A Decade of Pain and a Final Chance
Surgeons at Camp Bastion performed a life-saving double amputation, but Luke was left with relentless, unbearable nerve pain in his stumps. Now, a decade later, he is undergoing a groundbreaking procedure at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital. The surgery, featured in the series 'Surgeons: A Matter of Life or Death', aims to locate the agonising nerve ends and reroute them into his muscles, potentially ending his chronic pain.
Leading the complex operation is Colonel Mark Foster, a plastic surgeon who also served at Camp Bastion and has treated Luke for years. "There's always more pressure when you're treating someone that you've known quite well," Colonel Foster admits, becoming emotional as he discusses the weight of responsibility. "This chap really does have just one last chance... to give him some level of normality that we all enjoy."
A High-Stakes Operation and a Bond Forged in Service
The documentary captures the immense risk of the procedure. As Luke is prepared for surgery, his heart—weakened by the original trauma—begins to show signs of stress. The surgical team, including nerve surgeon Sam George, faces a harrowing choice: proceed with the threat of cardiac arrest, or abandon the operation and consign Luke to a lifetime of intractable pain.
Luke credits the medical teams at Camp Bastion for his survival, stating he would likely have died anywhere else. His remarkable bond with Colonel Foster, forged through shared military experience, underscores the profound human story at the heart of this medical frontier. Luke's journey is the focus of the first episode in the new six-part series, which airs on Channel 5 at 9pm tonight.
