Veteran left with severe PTSD after friends killed thanks Poppy Appeal - Yahoo News UK

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Veteran left with severe PTSD after friends killed thanks Poppy Appeal Yahoo News UK

A former gunner from Hartlepool who had a breakdown during his time in the Army says the support of the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal has saved his life.

The Royal British Legion, the UK’s largest Armed Forces charity, helped Lee Bullivant to turn his life around alongside the love and support of his wife Sam.

Lee, 40, was left traumatised by his time serving in Northern Ireland - where he lost two of his close friends.

This comes as the Royal British Legion has launched its 2023 Poppy Appeal across the North East this week. The public is able to get hold of its newly designed plastic-free poppy for the first time.

Lee says he “lost the plot” during his time in the Army after a relationship break-up and losing two close friends in Northern Ireland. Three years later, he was diagnosed with severe PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).

Lee said: “The Poppy Appeal means everything to me, I love the new plastic-free version, but while the poppies have changed, the meaning stays the same. Wearing your poppy shows you care, and that the service and sacrifice of our Armed Forces community will never be forgotten."

As well as providing carpets and curtains for Lee’s new home, the RBL has also provided a specially adapted £4000 bike to help him escape the pressures of life.

But worse was to come for Lee when he broke his back in a freak accident in 2016 whilst playing with his children on a swing.

Lee, originally from Bradford, spent three months in hospital in West Yorkshire. His wife, Sam, said: “We didn’t know if he would ever walk again, it was a tough time.”

Whilst he made a partial recovery, his mental health suffered another crisis last year, so Lee was sent to the Royal British Legion’s Battle Back Centre in Lilleshall.

Lee said: “Battle Back was life-changing. I was a keen cyclist before I broke my back but was told I could never ride a two-wheeler again. The guys put me on a recumbent bike when I went there, and it’s given me a new lease of life.

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