Profiles

On Christmas Eve 2007, marine Mark Ormrod was on foot patrol with 40 Commando in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, when he stood on a landmine.

Mark, 25, from Plymouth, lost both legs and his right arm in the blast, and also suffered injuries to his left hand and burns to his back.

He was stabilised and flown back to the UK on Christmas Day - his mother Jackie's birthday.

When Jackie first saw Mark in the military hospital ward in Selly Oak, Birmingham, she feared she'd lost him: "My first thought was that he's not going to want to go through this," said Jackie.

"I thought, he's going to see himself and think 'no, I don't want to be here'. But he has astounded us."

It's almost a year since then, and Mark, amazingly, is back at work and looking forward to Christmas 2008 - and to a May 2009 wedding with his fiance Becky.

Plymouth-born Mark has served in Iraq and Afghanistan, but getting better has been the biggest battle of his life.

Marines from 42 Commando in Afghanistan (MoD)

He joined the marines after leaving school in 2001. In 2003, he was in the first wave of British forces which crossed the Kuwait border and invaded Iraq. Then, in October 2007, he was sent to Afghanistan with Taunton-based 40 Commando.

He is now doing a desk job with 42 Commando at Bickleigh, Plymouth, where he returned to work in October 2008.

"It's good to be back in the military environment and around the lads, and back in that other sort of family environment," said Mark.

"I've been put into a desk job which means re-learning a whole new trade, which is a challenge in itself.

"I suppose I'm going to have to come to terms with the fact that I'm not going to be able to do the job that I was trained to do, but I can still support the lads who are doing that job if I'm back in the UK. And that's good enough for me."

We are chatting in the front room of Mark's specially adapted Ministry of Defence (MoD) house in Plymouth.

It has wide doorways, a stair lift, ramps and a walk-in shower. Mark calls it his "roll in shower," an example of his sense of humour which has been invaluable during the past year.

He moved into the house in May 2008 after five months of rehabilitation at the MoD's rehabilitation centre in Surrey. He he is able to get about with the help of artificial legs.

"I used to be 6ft 1ins, and now I'm between 4ft 6ins and 5ft 11ins, depending on what size legs I'm wearing," said Mark.

Mark and mum Jackie (Photo: BBC Devon).

"I've got a various selection of legs which I use for all sorts of different things, which gives me my independence. I've also got my car out in the driveway, waiting to be adapted, which will give me a whole lot more independence.

"And we are sitting in my house now which is all fully adapted, which makes my life easier.

"Obviously, things have changed but there is nothing really I can't do now - average sort of things like going into town - that I couldn't do before.

"I'm just getting on with it to be honest, and looking forward to a better Christmas Eve."

Initially, Mark was told by the MoD that he would be eligible for £214,000 compensation - well below the maximum amount.

However, Jackie revealed that the family has now been told that Mark will be getting another £214,000, taking his full compensation to £428,000.

He is also being helped by local people. Staff at the medical assessment unit at Derriford Hospital - where mum Jackie works - have set up the Local Hero Project, which aims to raise £50,000 during 2009.

A number of events are being organised, including a sponsored Valentine's Day abseil down the side of Derriford Hospital which Mark hopes to do himself.

The project is the idea of the unit's consultant in internal medicine, Dr Peter Lynch, who is a retired brigadier.

Jackie said: "I was overwhelmed when I heard about the Local Hero Project. I burst into tears, which I can do at the drop of a hat, although I'm getting better.

"I'm humbled really, to think that everyone has rallied around for us."

Mark says the support means a lot to him: "It's nice to know that there are people who appreciate what it is that we do and are willing to go to lengths such as they are to show their support."

Mark returns regularly to the MoD rehabilitation unit for assessment, and he is positive about his future.

"From day one, it could have gone one of two ways when I woke up in hospital," he said. "I could have been depressed and upset and just felt sorry for myself, or I could have done what I did, which was get on with it.

"And, with the progress I've made, that was the better option."