Two veterans who were on the verge of suicide have spoken about their battle with PTSD and how they have supported each other through their fight with combat trauma.
Dom Felton, who survived a devastating IRA bombing in Northern Ireland in 1992, and Sergeant Dave Hayden, a decorated veteran of the Iraq War, met through military charity On Course Foundation.
On Course Foundation is a charity that helps wounded and sick veterans recover by building confidence through golf and creating job opportunities. It has received £119,937 in grants from the Veterans’ Foundation to conduct it’s life-changing work.
Dave recalled the moment they first connected: “I noticed that Dom was a realist, and he told you how it was because he'd been there, and he's been through it. He started giving me reasons to want to be here. He's the guy I go to when I'm in the shit.”
Dom was just 19 when a 2,000lb bomb destroyed the vehicle checkpoint he was manning. It tragically killed his fellow soldier, Fusilier Andrew Grundy. Dom's life was forever changed, and he struggled with guilt, depression, and suicidal thoughts for years.
“What if I’d done this, what if I’d done that. No matter what I did in my own mind, I couldn't save him, I couldn’t stop the bomb, and I couldn't save Andy,” explained Felton.
However, with the help of military charities, including Combat Stress and On Course Foundation, Dom has learned to manage his PTSD and now uses his experiences to help fellow veterans.
“I don't have to sit in the house and mope, and feel depressed, and have no motivation because I can come to places like this and On Course Foundation did all that for me. I've had my ‘urgh’ moments on the golf course but I’m not the idiot who used to go drinking himself to death and trying to kill himself.”
Sergeant Dave Hayden, who was awarded the Military Cross for his bravery in Iraq, also found himself struggling with PTSD after 24 years of service. He lost his family, became homeless, and attempted to take his own life.
Speaking about being awarded the Military Cross, Dave said: “I wish it had never happened. I wish I’d never got that medal. That medal ruined my life, in so many ways. You’re now on a pedestal and you’re expected, all the time, to be that guy. And I was just me.”
However, through the support of charities and his friendship with Dom Felton, he has turned his life around and now works as a caddie at a golf course in Scotland.
Both men credit the support of charities and peer groups with saving their lives. They are now urging the public to support Operation Lifeline – the Veteran Foundation’s mission to provide vital funding for veterans' mental health services across the UK.
More than half of British Armed Forces heroes struggle with mental and physical health issues when they leave service. And as many as five veterans a week take their own lives. It's time for change.
Dom Felton and Sergeant Dave Hayden's stories are a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made by those in service and the importance of supporting their mental health needs.
Operation Lifeline is part-funded by the Sponsor A Veteran initiative which provides one-to-one counselling, access to round-the-clock assistance through 24/7 helplines, group therapy, support dogs, activity clubs and meet-ups.
Thanks to Operation Lifeline and Sponsor A Veteran, charities that helped Dom and Dave will be able to support more veterans and save more lives.
Sign up to Sponsor A Veteran today and help support a hero into recovery:
