Taitusi Ratucaucau, a veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, has been left unable to work and facing a potential £50,000 bill for brain surgery after being discharged from the British Army in 2011.
The Fiji-born soldier, who served more than 10 years in the Royal Logistics Corps, was given just 28 days' notice. He says he pleaded to stay, but was told 'crack on'. After leaving his married quarters, he lived in a car park in Abingdon.
Ratucaucau later worked as a maintenance worker, but his residency status became unclear, preventing him from working. He was diagnosed with a brain tumour and underwent surgery at University College Hospital in London in April, costing around £50,000.
Financial offers have come in, but the hospital is waiting on his legal challenge before deciding on payment. His family's child tax credit was stopped in May due to an immigration test failure, leaving them reliant on child benefit for their youngest child, who is British.
Now 49, Ratucaucau awaits results on his cancer treatment on Friday. Despite his ordeal, he says he would rejoin the army 'definitely'.
