Jim's story

In July 2020, Jim, a prosthetic and orthotic expert and age-group international triathlete was involved in a horrific incident that would see him rely on his training and education in ways he had never anticipated.

Jim was cycling in Catford as part of his pre-dinner British Triathlon Championship training when a large lorry moved into the lefthand-side lane, pushing him off the road.

“I grabbed hold of the vehicle to steady myself and was flipped underneath it,” recalled Jim. “I was dragged up the road for 80m on my front. A motorcyclist flagged the lorry down and once we were stationary, I put my hand down on the ground. But the truck started moving again and my right arm went under the back wheels.

“I knew instantly I had lost the arm. I tried to get up, but I couldn’t move – some of my arm was still trapped under the wheel. That’s when the pain really kicked in. 

“I accepted it was a bad day and that I was probably going to die. The pain was so extreme I couldn’t even define it.”

Given the nature of incident, London’s Air Ambulance’s advanced trauma team was dispatched within two minutes of the 999 call being made. On arrival, the team was surprised to find Jim conscious, given the gruesome nature of his injuries. He was already being treated by paramedics from London Ambulance Service (LAS) who had managed to extricate him from under the lorry. Working with them, our team quickly obtained intravenous access and gave Jim ketamine which is a strong and fast-acting painkiller. 

“I remember telling someone my name and my wife’s number, then I was administered some ketamine and the world as I knew it changed.”

This allowed them to thoroughly assess him and identify that he had suspected collapsed lungs caused by numerous broken ribs, suspected intra-abdominal bleeding and a complete amputation of his right arm. Additionally, Jim’s blood pressure was extremely low and he was breathing very fast. His heart rate although appearing ‘normal’ was actually grossly abnormal for someone as fit as he was. It was obvious that Jim was critically injured and needed time-critical interventions to give him a chance of getting to hospital. 

The team therefore proceeded to bind his pelvis before placing him on a scoop to lift him off the road and onto a trolley. Meanwhile, a blood transfusion was prepared and started before they administered a roadside general anaesthetic. Immediately after this, the team performed surgical procedures to either side of Jim’s chest to release the trapped air that was causing his lungs to collapse. Jim was then connected to a mechanical ventilator to essentially breathe for him. Finally, and before leaving the scene, the team made a code red call to the nearest major trauma centre, to pre-warn them of the imminent arrival of a patient who had life-threatening injuries and was bleeding severely. 

The team then accompanied Jim to hospital, where he remained in a coma for six weeks.

Since 2000, Jim had been working for the NHS as an Orthotist Specialist – working with patients who needed medical devices to provide support to a body part, a specialism that crosses over closely with prosthetics.

“Part of the process of designing something for someone is putting yourself in the place of the user. So, to some extent I was used to putting myself in the patient’s shoes.

“I woke up and I looked down at my arm – which was not there. But there were bigger issues at the time and I was just really thankful that I was alive.”

Jim had sustained a severe injury to his liver and thankfully, the hospital he was in has a world-leading liver unit, which was essential for Jim’s survival. On top of that and because of the huge traumatic insult to his body, Jim’s kidneys were not working. He therefore had to have dialysis 24/7 for two and half months and then regularly for another three and a half. 
“I was in a mess, but I was in the right place,” said Jim.

Discharged in November, Jim continued his recovery, as well as adapting to living as an amputee. His recovery is so genuinely awe-inspiring: in 2021, just a year after his incident he competed in the British Paratriathlon Championships and came third. In 2024, he did his first marathon, running the full distance in under three hours 30 minutes.  

“My life experiences – being in the military, being a personal trainer, my work – have engrained in me that if you plan, don’t give up, keep pushing and do things the right way, you will recover and get better. I have confidence in the process – I know if you do things the right way a good outcome is more likely to happen. That really helped me get through the recovery.”

Jim is back to work, back to helping patients find tools that help them live the lives they want.

“Now when a patient walks in and sees I have an artificial limb, the barriers between clinician and patient are broken down immediately,” said Jim. “I think people trust me more – rightly or wrongly! I’ve only lost an arm, I don’t have more wisdom as such, but I do have lived experience and I think that helps people engage with me positively and believe that I understand what they’re going through.

“I’m grateful to have a tool in place that allows me to do two-handed tasks. On some levels I do really enjoy being an amputee – it allows me to practice all the things I’ve been telling others to do for years. It’s definitely improved my self-confidence.”

Over the last couple of years, Jim has been fundraising to raise the funds needed to bring technology to the UK that will enable osseointegration. This will see a pin fixated into Jim’s remaining limb, meaning a powered prosthetic can be locked onto his body.

“Being part of the healthcare world, I wanted to help bring new technology into the UK. My plastic surgeon and I have been pushing to get the technology into the NHS and this should be available in a couple of months.

“It will be great to have osseointegration as it will really help my running – currently without the counterweight I have to modify my gait style and that takes a lot of thinking, otherwise I end up with secondary injuries.”

Bringing this technology to the UK will not only benefit Jim, but many others in the future. We can’t wait to see this next step come to fruition for him.

“As far as London’s Air Ambulance goes, I am very aware that if it had taken any longer to get that hospital treatment at the roadside, I would have died.

“I was very lucky to survive. I am very lucky my life has only minimally changed. I am very thankful.”