Stuart Hughes raising funds for CMRT..

 

Landmine survivor and senior BBC Producer Stuart Hughes is raising funds for Coniston Mountain Rescue

In April 2003 Stuart was on assignment for BBC News in northern Iraq. One bright spring morning his team travelled to a frontline position, which had been abandoned the night before by Saddam Hussein’s forces. Their guide assured them the area was safe. He was wrong.

Just seconds after stepping out of their vehicle Stuart triggered an anti-personnel landmine. It blew off his right heel.

On hearing the explosion, his cameraman instinctively thought this was mortar fire. He tried to run for safety. Instead, tragically, he set off two more landmines. He was killed instantly.

 

Stuart received emergency medical treatment and five days after stepping on the landmine his right leg was amputated below the knee. Rehabilitation and the process of learning to walk again was frustratingly slow. It was three months after the amputation he was fitted with his first prosthetic leg and six months after the explosion he was well enough to resume his old job as a World Affairs Producer for BBC News.

Wherever he goes his artificial leg goes with him – from the streets of Damascus, Beirut and Jerusalem to Basra. The next port of call is the summit of Coniston … an entirely new trial to overcome. 

Please support him and raise funds for The Coniston Mountain Rescue Service.

Details of how to do this can be found on Stuarts Virgin Giving page