Veteran amputee calls for urgent mental health support for ex-soldiers: 'Suicide risk is high!'

While praising the medical teams who saved his life, the former serviceman told GB News that support often lacks after leaving hospital.

Speaking to Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick, Lee said: "For me, that extra support ceased immediately."

Being young, Lee was resilient in bouncing back, taking up exercise once his prostheses had been fitted.

Mentally, however, he was suffering. "I didn't realise I had mental health issues until one day where I got really poorly and considered suicide," he said.

"The day before I got injured I was returning rounds with the Taliban. The next day they below me up" Lee added, pointing to the difficulty experienced by those having to return to normal life after.

Highlighting the support he was given by charities such as SSAFA, Lee argued: "We need to make sure there is more mental health support, currently it's not there. There is a high suicide rate among veterans."

Recalling how he lost his leg, Lee said: "I was thrown out of the vehicle, into a minefield. I was in the middle of nowhere, bleeding to death on my own.

"I realised very early on I was probably dying. The vehicle I had been in was behind me, on its side.

"My boss and the driver were screaming to me. I was trying to crawl to them to get help.

"My knee was at a right angle to my foot. My bones were penetrating from the right side of my leg and there was a hole the size of my fist coming through my foot.

"They managed to drag me onto a Chinook helicopter that landed literally in the minefield, risking lives to save mine.

They managed to keep my leg in one piece and supposedly I threatened the doctor not to take it.

"They did their best and they saved my life."

Eventually, the decision was taken to amputate Lee's leg. Nearly twenty years on, he is married with children and involved in local politics.

"It's really heartbreaking," Lee explained, "to know that there's people going through the same now. I was lucky, I had lots of support which has made me realise people need help at the right time.

"The families are neglected. We always concentrate on the soldier, but for the wives or the children - there's a high possibility of divorce and their [mental health] ends up going down and they turn to drugs or alcohol to cope with depression or PTSD. There is no financial assistance for them."

Jenrick will be running the London marathon this Sunday 27th April to raise funds for the Armed Forces charity SSAFA.

Reacting to Lee's story, Jenrick said: "We have to do right by servicemen and women like Johno. They deserve the best support and there are fantastic charities out there who are helping to ensure that we really look after our veterans and their families to the best possible standard."

Donations to Jenrick's fundraiser can be made on the SSAFA website.

Anyone who is in emotional distress, struggling to cope or at risk of suicide can call the Samaritans anonymously for free from a UK phone on 116 123 or go to samaritans.org.