3 Soldiers Finish the Job Together
As members of the 22nd Cheshire Regiment, Andrew Harding (left), Peter Coghlan (centre) and Shaun Schofield (right) served together on a peace-keeping mission in Northern Ireland. This is Peter’s story:
“We all had each others’ backs during that time; keeping the peace was a very scary task for a 19-year old, I'm not ashamed to say. Fire bombs, bricks and a few hundred angry people wasn’t our idea of a night out on the town! We would spend a lot of days on patrol across the Northern Ireland borders too, feet bleeding sometimes from all the kilometres we covered in full combats. Carting the heavy I.E.D. detectors (Improvised Explosive Device) with helmets, webbing, magazines and rifles was not easy! Crossing wet barbed wire fences for days occasionally catching your privates while ripping your tackle area open...Oh yeah, we were living the dream!
I loved to see that Chinook helicopter arrving to take us home when near to dropping with bleeding feet. The sound of it coming before we even saw it was incredible. ThudThud thud thud thud thud thud thud....The sound came from everywhere - and you had no idea for a while where she was! I sometimes got the seat right above the RAF Gunner, literally hanging over him or her as the chopper banked left and right WITH THE DOOR OPEN!!! Gunner covering the arks. Yeah, we became close in the army us Stockport lads, for sure...one mate is training me at the moment, boxing the pads. Rob McCormick or Macca as we know him.
Now, I’d better explain where this is all going!
In 2011, after a severe blow on my head brought on the stroke that left me locked-in, I was nothing but a quadriplegic fart in a bed ..watching my drip-drip-drip..all day in ICU. No speech, no movement just these memories of a young, fit soldier and the dreams for a future I once thought I had!!
Being rolled about the bed in my own faeces, being pumped full of drugs and craned in and out of bed like a sand delivery, I certainly didn't visualize that 9 years after my brain stem stroke I'd be on national television with Holly & Philip on the ITV This Morning show watched by millions of viewers. I did okay, I think, but you can judge for yourself here:
youtube.com/watch?v=I6QXSL
Having learned to walk and to speak again through 9 years’ obsessive behaviour, I'm living proof that the brain is more powerful than we know. All it needs, I believe, is the will, stubbornness, and persistence.
I absolutely refused to believe my life was over. As a soldier I wasn't going to stop until the job was done!
Andrew and Shaun were going to join me in a new assault.. up Mount Snowdon, which has sadly had to be postponed, due to Covid-19 and my having to return to Oz. But it was great seeing my old army pals again. Andrew, who got me busted for raiding a RUC cigarette machine (see my book)* and Shaun, who is now a CERT-ED Mountain Leader, have always been great guys to have in my corner. These Cheshire Regiment pals have still got my back in civi street all these years later (cheers lads)!
I'm hoping we can inspire many head injuries & stroke survivors out there with my story. Cancer patients too!! as I was discharged from the army in 1998 with Hodgkins Lymphoma - my first battle.
If you want to follow my incredible 9-year rehabilitation, visit my website petercoghlan.com, or YouTube - In the Blink of an Eye - Reborn
Today I’m being used to help occupational therapy and physiotherapy students in university education to better understand LIS and stroke from the survivor's point of view. To show the strength and the power in the human brain and to provide insight into how determination can help the human spirit overcome adversity.
I'm very proud indeed to share my story with you and I hope I can make a difference to this, sometimes, unforgiving world.”
As members of the 22nd Cheshire Regiment, Andrew Harding (left), Peter Coghlan (centre) and Shaun Schofield (right) served together on a peace-keeping mission in Northern Ireland. This is Peter’s story:
“We all had each others’ backs during that time; keeping the peace was a very scary task for a 19-year old, I'm not ashamed to say. Fire bombs, bricks and a few hundred angry people wasn’t our idea of a night out on the town! We would spend a lot of days on patrol across the Northern Ireland borders too, feet bleeding sometimes from all the kilometres we covered in full combats. Carting the heavy I.E.D. detectors (Improvised Explosive Device) with helmets, webbing, magazines and rifles was not easy! Crossing wet barbed wire fences for days occasionally catching your privates while ripping your tackle area open...Oh yeah, we were living the dream!
I loved to see that Chinook helicopter arrving to take us home when near to dropping with bleeding feet. The sound of it coming before we even saw it was incredible. ThudThud thud thud thud thud thud thud....The sound came from everywhere - and you had no idea for a while where she was! I sometimes got the seat right above the RAF Gunner, literally hanging over him or her as the chopper banked left and right WITH THE DOOR OPEN!!! Gunner covering the arks. Yeah, we became close in the army us Stockport lads, for sure...one mate is training me at the moment, boxing the pads. Rob McCormick or Macca as we know him.
Now, I’d better explain where this is all going!
In 2011, after a severe blow on my head brought on the stroke that left me locked-in, I was nothing but a quadriplegic fart in a bed ..watching my drip-drip-drip..all day in ICU. No speech, no movement just these memories of a young, fit soldier and the dreams for a future I once thought I had!!
Being rolled about the bed in my own faeces, being pumped full of drugs and craned in and out of bed like a sand delivery, I certainly didn't visualize that 9 years after my brain stem stroke I'd be on national television with Holly & Philip on the ITV This Morning show watched by millions of viewers. I did okay, I think, but you can judge for yourself here:
youtube.com/watch?v=I6QXSL
Having learned to walk and to speak again through 9 years’ obsessive behaviour, I'm living proof that the brain is more powerful than we know. All it needs, I believe, is the will, stubbornness, and persistence.
I absolutely refused to believe my life was over. As a soldier I wasn't going to stop until the job was done!
Andrew and Shaun were going to join me in a new assault.. up Mount Snowdon, which has sadly had to be postponed, due to Covid-19 and my having to return to Oz. But it was great seeing my old army pals again. Andrew, who got me busted for raiding a RUC cigarette machine (see my book)* and Shaun, who is now a CERT-ED Mountain Leader, have always been great guys to have in my corner. These Cheshire Regiment pals have still got my back in civi street all these years later (cheers lads)!
I'm hoping we can inspire many head injuries & stroke survivors out there with my story. Cancer patients too!! as I was discharged from the army in 1998 with Hodgkins Lymphoma - my first battle.
If you want to follow my incredible 9-year rehabilitation, visit my website petercoghlan.com, or YouTube - In the Blink of an Eye - Reborn
Today I’m being used to help occupational therapy and physiotherapy students in university education to better understand LIS and stroke from the survivor's point of view. To show the strength and the power in the human brain and to provide insight into how determination can help the human spirit overcome adversity.
I'm very proud indeed to share my story with you and I hope I can make a difference to this, sometimes, unforgiving world.”
Peter's book 'In the Blink of an Eye Reborn', is available from Amazon and Smashwords
mybook.to/ITBOAEP
mybook.to/ITBOAEP
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