- Mark Ormrod, 30, lost both his legs and an arm when he stood on an IED
- He has now been given £115,000 prosthetic legs called Genium limbs
- They allow him to walk up slopes and well as to climb stairs
- Each one relies on tiny gyroscopes that monitor and adapt to the precise speed and position of the wearer
Mark Ormrod, who lost three of his limbs in Afghanistan, has been given new legs that can be controlled by Bluetooth - allowing him to run, cycle and ski
A former Royal Marine who lost three of his limbs in Afghanistan has been given new legs that can be controlled by Bluetooth - allowing him to run, cycle and ski.
Mark Ormrod’s state-of-the-art limbs can be adapted at the touch of a button - with settings for five different activities.
Mr Ormrod, 30, lost both of his legs and an arm six years ago after he stepped on an IED.
The father-of-three was later dubbed a ‘real hero’ of the war by Prince Harry.
Mr Ormrod feared he would have to remortgage his home to pay for the top-of-the-range £115,000 legs but they were supplied for free on the NHS thanks to an £11million Government scheme to help veterans.
As a result, he has now become the first injured British veteran to be fitted with a set of Genium limbs.
The carbon fibre prosthetics include microprocessors which make hundreds of adjustments.
They can be adapted with Bluetooth or a remote control so amputees can stand and walk naturally on slopes, climb up and down stairs, and even ski and cycle.
After taking his first steps on the new legs, Mr Ormrod said: ‘The stability is so much better. I can stand on a slope, walk up stairs or just stand on the spot.
‘I don’t need to reach constantly for stability which means I’ll be able to pick up my baby daughter and walk around the house like a regular dad.
‘The battery life is ten days and they are even splash-proof.
‘I took the kids to Legoland last year and had to sit out the log flume - now I’ll be able to get stuck in like everyone else.’
Mr Ormrod was serving in Helmand Province on Christmas Eve 2007 when the explosion ripped off both his legs and his right arm.
He lost huge amounts of blood but was saved by comrades from Taunton-based 40 Commando, who wrapped tourniquets around his mangled limbs to stem the flow.
Back in the UK, he faced years of gruelling rehabilitation as the first soldier to leave Afghanistan with such injuries.
But as he rebuilt his life he was soon able to ditch his wheelchair for prosthetic legs, quickly learning to run and walk and leaving medics stunned by his progress.
Since then he has completed a series of fundraising targets - culminating in a 3,500-mile run across the U.S. on prosthetic blades which raised £100,000 for military charities.
But his new upgraded legs should give him the one thing he has yet to achieve - the sensation of moving and standing just like normal.
Each Genium limb relies on tiny gyroscopes that monitor and adapt to the precise speed, angle and position of the wearer - utilising the same technology that keeps an airplane’s wings level during flight.
They make 100 decisions every second, have five settings for different activities.
They had previously only been available privately and to serving soldiers until the Government set aside funds so veterans could access the same standard of equipment.
Mr Ormrod currently works full-time for the Royal Marine Association and lives in Plymouth, Devon, with wife Becky, 27, and their children Mason, one, and four-week-old Evelyn.
He has a daughter Kezia, eight, from a previous relationship.
Mr Ormrod said: ‘Getting my first set of legs really changed my life. I started learning what they could do and seeing what was still possible.
‘From then on I got my independence, my confidence, I’m not a burden on anyone, I don’t need a wheelchair.
‘I feel like the older veterans get totally forgotten about and goodness knows what some of them are hopping around on.
‘If you serve in a conflict and risk your life for your country you deserve the same level of care, regardless of whether it was a current conflict or a previous one.
‘If you’re alive and kicking you deserve the help. Hopefully this money will help others benefit in the same way.’
World-leading prosthetic manufacturer Ottobock said the Genium took ten years to develop and that each limb lasts at least six years.
Emma Gillespie, Academy Clinician for Ottobock Academy UK, said: ‘The prosthetic knows where it is in space so the patient feels in control no matter what the situation.
‘The design is aiming to get as close as possible to what was there before. And because the movement is more natural and more intuitive, the patient expends much less effort and energy.
‘Patients now have the ability to walk leg over leg up the stairs which sounds a tiny step forward - in reality it’s a monumental leap in prosthetics.’
Mark’s fitting took place at The Thornberry Centre in Plymouth, which provides treatment and rehab for patients who been born without, or lost, limbs.
Principal Prosthetist Clayton Smith said: ‘Geniums are the very latest in technology. They are expensive but Mark is an inspiration and if anyone deserves this, it’s him.’
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Mark Ormrod's state-of-the-art limbs can be adapted at the touch of a button - with settings for five activities
Mr Ormrod, 30, lost both of his legs and an arm six years ago after he stepped on an IED in Afghanistan - he was dubbed a 'real hero' of the war by Prince Harry
Mr Ormrod feared he would have to remortgage his home to pay for the top-of-the-range £115,000 legs but they were supplied on the NHS thanks to an £11million Government scheme to help veterans
Mr Ormrod has now become the first injured British veteran to be fitted with a set of Genium limbs. He is pictured serving in Afghanistan before he lost his limbs
Mr Ormrod (pictured with his wife Becky shortly after he returned from Afghanistan) can adapt his new legs with Bluetooth or a remote control so he can stand and walk naturally on slopes and climb up and down stairs
Mr Ormrod was injured on Christmas Eve 2007. He lost huge amounts of blood but was saved by comrades from 40 Commando, who wrapped tourniquets around his mangled limbs to stem the flow
Mr Ormrod faced years of gruelling rehabilitation in the UK (pictured) as the first soldier to leave Afghanistan with such serious injuries
Each Genium limb relies on tiny gyroscopes that monitor and adapt to the precise speed, angle and position of the wearer
World-leading prosthetic manufacturer Ottobock said the Genium took ten years to develop and that each limb lasts at least six years
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