Blind war hero honoured by Queen Elizabeth II praises ‘remarkable lady’

Blind war hero Paul Jacobs gave a nervous team of fundraisers a last minute pep-talk before their 12,000ft skydiveThe soldier – catastrophically injured by a Taliban bomb while trying to save a stricken colleague in Afghanistan – used his intimate knowledge of overcoming fear to install confidence in the anxious jumpers.

A team from Diagrama Foundation, which helps vulnerable children, young people and adults, hopes to raise £25,000. Among the intrepid 11 taking part in the leap of faith is Reece Cornford, 19, and Paul Johnson, 55, who both have learning disabilities and are supported by the charity.

Hero Paul, 37, who went through the care system and was fostered, was just 20 when he suffered severe shrapnel injuries in his arm, legs and face, and a traumatic brain injury during an explosion. He lost one eye and was blinded in the other.

He said: “Every part of our lives is a chapter and I am now onto the next one but I am, and always will be, Paul Jacobs before a blind veteran.

“I went through the adoption system and that gave me inner strength – we are all different but that’s what makes us unique.”
He told the apprehensive fundraisers: “Enjoy it because every day brings new opportunities. Fear is there to be conquered – face it, embrace the moment, but remember to enjoy it.”

Rifleman Paul can vividly recall the day he was injured on August 20, 2009.

He was five months into his first tour of Afghanistan with 2nd Battalion The Rifles and leading a patrol up an isolated alleyway in the Upper Sangin Valley when an explosion from a hidden bomb killed a colleague.

The hero was in the process of attempting to retrieve his colleague’s body when a second blast killed another British soldier and seriously injured Paul, who lost his right eye and was blinded in his left.

Incredibly, he was able to haul himself to safety and was rescued. Paul was left in a coma for three weeks after he was flown home to Selly Oak hospital, Birmingham.

In 2010, he was awarded the George Medal by Queen Elizabeth II and left the Army in 2012.

At their meeting at Buckingham Palace, Paul, a father-of-one, said: “It was incredible to stand in front of this tiny woman who wielded so much power and for whom I would give every ounce, every last breath. She was a remarkable lady.”

Last year, he became the first blind veteran to scale Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest peak, in the latest of a series of charity fundraisers which have included climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, cycling, skydiving, and marathon running.

And on August 20 this year, the 17th anniversary of his horrific injuries, he married Renata, turning “a negative day into the happiest of my life”. The couple live in Ramsgate, Kent.

The skydive will take place on Friday at Headcorn Aerodrome in Kent, bringing together staff and those supported by Diagrama in a demonstration of courage, teamwork and determination.

Every pound raised will go towards helping create life-enriching opportunities for vulnerable children and adults supported by the foundation across its fostering, adoption, residential care and supported living services.

Diagrama supports vulnerable children, young people and adults to live their best life and facilities include supported living services, homes for adults with learning disabilities, a care home for adults with learning disabilities, a care home for the elderly with nursing and dementia needs, and a fostering and adoption service.

Reece, who lives at Duckyls Farm, a residential care home for residents with learning disabilities near East Grinstead, West Sussex, said: “I know what I like, and I think skydiving would be pretty fun. I’ve never done it before, so I thought it would be an interesting thing to do, and I am a little bit of an adrenaline junkie, as it is. I quite like raising the blood pressure a little bit. I love going on roller coasters and looking at fast cars.”

Paul added: “This will be the first time I’ve ever done a skydive and I always wanted to do it. It’s very exciting.”

Diagrama Chief Executive David McGuire said: “This skydive is about much more than jumping out of an aeroplane. It is about people challenging themselves to create opportunities for others.

“Every donation, no matter how large or small, will help us continue creating brighter futures for vulnerable children and adults.”

To donate visit www.justgiving.com/campaign/diagramacharityskydive