My Boyfriend the War Hero

This programme contains some strong language

When he was out in Afghanistan, we thought it would be good to sort of do the old school thing.

Like, write to each other.

"Vicky, you amaze me.

"You're the reason I was born.

"You see that we are meant to be together forever and a day.

"My love for my baby Vicky will never go away.

"Even though it's stormy weather, we're going to be OK.

"I know you're reading my letter and I've got something to say.

"I love you, Vicky. You and me, forever and a day."

That one I actually received after he got injured.

Oh, my God.

He's not got no legs. He's in a wheelchair now.

What happens now?

On 30 July 2009, Vicky Swales' world changed forever.

And she was faced with a big decision,

one that would be hard for anyone to make,

never mind a 16-year-old schoolgirl.

Could she, should she, stand by her man?

This is the story of the choice she made.

-Hat.

-Hat?

Beret, sorry.

-See you later, Dad.

-See you later.

'It's been really hard for her.

'Really hard. I honestly don't know how she copes.

'Once every week or whatever,'

I just sit there and just turn to Vicky and say,

"Oh, Vicky, can I have a hug?" And I'll just end up crying.

This is when you passed out.

Craig proposed to Vicky in July 2009. He was 18.

She was just 16.

Three weeks later, he was back on tour in Afghanistan.

On his first patrol after getting back, he was blown up by a wire-detonated bomb.

I took about ten steps,

and then just saw this white flash, and my face was stinging.

All there was just stinging.

And that's all I can remember.

Craig lost both legs and an arm,

and became one of only four triple amputees in the military.

There you are.

Right at the back.

Big nose.

You did have a big nose.

No, I haven't.

Look at that six pack.

And you and me.

Look how tall I was.

Yeah, look how small I am!

Its' five months since Craig was injured,

and Vicky's decided to leave her parents' house to live with Craig

in his home village of Woodlands, near Doncaster.

'Obviously, a lot of people don't agree with me moving to Doncaster.'

I can see that my mum and dad aren't exactly happy about it.

'My dad, he's told my mum that I am too young.'

Vicky's moving 40 miles down the road to where Craig's the local hero.

I've lived here in that house all my life, really.

So, you know everybody in the village.

Basically, all the kids, and then their dads know each other because they went to the same schools

or worked at the pit, so everyone knows everyone, really.

If something happens, then it's just a really tight community.

Everywhere else is just a bit like Shameless, ain't it?

Look after yourself, won't you?

# Round my hometown

# Memories are fresh

# Round my hometown

# Ooh, the people I've met... #

That title, it just says it all for me.

And I want people to know, you know, this is Craig that we know.

See you later.

# ..my world

# Of my world

# Yeah, of my world

# Of my world

# Yeah. #

Got the keys yesterday at 8am.

That's the front door key, I know that much.

I'm not exactly expecting myself to be carrying loads of boxes because I know I can't.

But, yeah, it's all right.

At just 18 years old, Craig has bought a house.

A compensation package for his injuries worth over £500,000

has meant that he and Vicky have a kind of independence most teenagers can only dream of.

We're new to this, so it's like we're obviously going to do a few things wrong,

but as far as I'm concerned, I don't even know how to pay a bill, you know what I mean?

-No, I don't know.

-You don't know what you do, so I'm nervous about different things like that.

-But you learn as you go along, don't you?

-Yeah.

And, like, bit weird to think that we're going to be in own house, innit, really?

Our house.

Cor. It looks big without everything in it, doesn't it? Jesus.

It echoes and everything.

TV there. TV's going there.

Settee in the middle, all sofas here.

Pictures all along the wall. God, it looks massive.

I'm so excited now.

First view. This is our first view of the front garden, isn't it?

I just can't get my head round it.

I really can't.

This is it. This is our home now.

Our home.

It's the first day of their new life together,

and, for Vicky, that means starting to live the life of a carer.

Even getting Craig to their bedroom is an effort.

Right. One, two, three.

You think he's going to weigh half as much because he's lost his legs,

and then you just pick him up and you're just like...

One, two, three.

One, two, three.

You're not full on, unable to lift.

It's a bit like, you have to really get the strength in your legs

and just be like, "One, two, three, huh."

One, two, three.

One, two, three.

There you go, baby.

-Can you bring my little wheelchair up, if you can?

-I can do. Yeah.

This is the very first time I've ever been in.

Yeah. It's nice.

Do you want a lift into it?

'I'm going to be Craig's carer, and with that,

'it obviously entails me getting him up and ready in the morning,

'doing his meals, doing the garden, doing all the chores.'

He said that he's going to pull his weight as much as he can,

cos obviously at the moment he can't do much because he's in a wheelchair.

'He can maybe go around the living room with a duster or something.'

No way.

Hang on. One, two, three.

Oh, this floor's gorgeous.

I know, isn't it?

Vicky's mum Gay is standing by her daughter,

but she knows not everyone agrees with the choice that Vicky has made.

'People say, "Oh, she's only a young girl, she doesn't know what she's doing,

'"she doesn't know what the future's holding,"

'but does anybody know what the future holds?'

I've lost a couple of friends cos they've actually said,

"What sort of mother are you, letting your daughter do it?"

But I can't believe it. I can't.

As long as Victoria's happy. If Victoria wasn't happy, she wouldn't be there.

She's got a nice lad and he's got a nice lass.

It's Victoria's choice.

It's going to be hard, it's not going to be a piece of cake.

But you've got to give them the chance.

Vicky, you'll have to give me an hand.

Don't worry. I'm just sorting out Craig's meds. I'll be two seconds.

Today, Vicky, Craig and Gay are picking up the last few finishing touches for the house.

That's me list.

You know, bits and bobs.

What have we got on here?

-Egg cup?

-Yeah, you've got to get an egg cup.

Hangers, blankets, rug.

I like how you've put, "Hangers - millions."

Yeah, we need millions for your clothes.

-Mine?

-Yeah, you've got more clothes than me.

I like that one. I like that one.

A little bin, Vicky, for t'bathroom?

-Yeah, but...

-For your girly stuff.

Do you want any scales?

I know, obviously, you won't be able to stand on them yet, but...

When you walk into a clothes shop, right, what would a normal 16-17-year-old go to?

All the clothes.

Vicky and Craig have gone straight over to the other side of the shop

to where the home things are.

It's quite sad, actually.

Craig?

Ha ha, no.

Reverse.

-Do you need a washing up bowl?

-We've got a dishwasher.

As well as his army compensation, Craig's been receiving donations from the public.

And because she's now caring for him, Vicky can't work.

A lot of people donated money.

It really, really has helped.

Obviously, at the moment, I'm unemployed and stuff,

so me financially-wise, I'm not very stable. So it's helped a lot.

You're not just like, "Oh, I'm getting this." You're not a gold digger.

Oh, no.

I'd be embarrassed if I was.

Craig may be desperately injured, but he's still proud to be a soldier.

He spends four weeks out of six at a military rehabilitation unit in Surrey.

For Vicky, saying goodbye to her fiance is something she's going to have to get used to.

Usually I just say bye to him when he's going to shops,

or say bye to him and he's going to town for two minutes.

And it's like, "Bye for five days."

This time round, he's going to be in Headley Court for about six weeks,

but then he's allowed home at weekends.

Will you get us me meds, please?

Eight months after his accident, and Craig's still in a lot of in pain.

Among the pills he packs are morphine and antibiotics for MRSA.

It takes Vicky and Craig 20 minutes to put together the medication he needs for the five days he's away.

I take a lot of nerve pain meds.

Gavapentin, Pregabalin, Duloxetine.

I'm on morphine still.

I take about five in the morning,

and then seven in the night.

While Craig is off to rehabilitation,

Vicky goes back to the one thing she keeps up from her old life, the Girl Guides.

You start off as a normal Girl Guider,

and you just... I went for fun just so I could be with my mates, you know what I mean?

Games, go to camp or something.

Going to Guides sort of gives me that, "Oh good, I've got one last thing that is still the same,"

and it's been the same for however long.

It's that one thing that I can say, "Oh yeah, I've kept up for about - what? - ten years of my life."

I'm trying to keep it going because it's one of them kid things to do.

Right, I'm on my door peg.

Tonight, I'm going to give everyone an update about Craig

cos they've been raising money for Help for Heroes, which they chose because of my experience with Craig.

My fiance was involved in an accident in Afghanistan.

He's lost both his legs and his hand,

and he's actually going in for his facial reconstruction

cos he did have a few scars on his face from what happened,

and they've just given him his little bionic hand sort of thing.

So he's sort of known as the Bionic Man in a way now.

Where is the hospital that he's being treated?

It's called Headley Court, and it's down in London.

It's the only place where it specialises in making people walk.

When you first saw Craig, when he got home, how did you feel?

It was one of them sort of moments where you think, "This is real, this is actually happening."

-Comfy?

-Yep.

I was shocked, because you don't think it's going to happen, you know.

You're sort of in a little bubble.

Kept a brave face on in front of Craig, especially when he did wake up or anything, you always do.

You always put a big smile on your face and act like everything's OK.

I get on with it because I love him, in a way.

Sorry to get all soppy and everything, but...

How tough do you think it is for Craig at the moment?

It ain't exactly easy, you know, obviously,

in my situation. So I can't even think how hard it would be for Craig.

Because, how I think of it is, for 18 years he's been walking.

Now he's actually been put into a wheelchair.

You could tell with his eyes when he first woke up

how hard it was for him to even think, "Oh God, this has happened to me."

He deals with it in his own way and he just gets on with it,

and just thinks, "Right, I'll be walking in a few months, but a bit differently."

I can honestly guarantee that it is hard for someone to be put into that situation.

It's the weekend, and Craig never misses an opportunity to see Vicky.

This week, he's travelled 250 miles from Headley Court to see her at the caravan park where they first met.

We were sat in my uncle's caravan, just sat there watching a bit of TV,

and then someone text him saying, "What are you doing at the moment?"

He says, "Oh, I'm with this amazing girl called Vicky."

And then she goes, "Are you going out with her or something?" And he looked at me as if to say,

"Well, do you want to?"

And I was just like, "Well, it's up to you."

Acting all cool and sort of normal about it, but inside I was just like giggling and everything.

It was like, "Oh, yes, this might happen now!"

He made you laugh like you've never laughed before,

even though everybody made me laugh, yeah, but it was like a different laugh.

He's gorgeous as well. He's got the full package.

He makes me laugh and he looks good.

And I just thought, "Yeah, this is it, this is Craig."

So, you get to be comfy!

Yeah, I am.

Oh, yeah.

I still look at where our caravan used to be, and I think,

"Oh, my God, it's 7pm on 30th July, I found out that you'd been blown up." You know what I mean?

So, for me, it's got the best memory and then...

But the worst memory for the fact that I can sit there

and I can actually still stare at the place where I found out.

There's Victoria, and there's Craig.

Craig's dad came round and just says, "Vicky, I think you should sit down.

"He's seriously injured and he's been involved in a bomb."

Oh, my God. I'm 16, and I'm dealing with this.

I went and sat down on this bench that we always used to go sit at, me and Craig.

I was just thinking, "Oh, my God.

"He's got got no legs, he's in a wheelchair now.

"What happens now? Is he still going to want to be with me?"

She thought I was going to say, "Oh, I don't want you any more,"

and I thought she was just going to say, "Oh, I don't want you any more."

I was so scared that she was going to leave me.

Is he going to think, "You can do better than me now?"

And I was just sat there going, "I don't want to leave him. I want us to be together."

Nothing's going to break us apart now. It's actually made me feel stronger.

Oh, you're kidding!

-Can I borrow your hand, babe?

-There?

Yeah.

Watch me red. Oh!

Ha-ha!

Oh, yes.

Ha-ha. Cripple beat you!

Craig's dream was always to become a windsurfing instructor.

He's determined to learn to sail again.

You don't see many people, as an amputee, on the lake, sailing. I never have.

-You'll soon be out here windsurfing.

-Yeah.

-Oh, look at that spider.

-Where?

Get it out, get it out now!

Seriously, there is one as well! Seriously. Craig, get it out!

Just squash it, just squash it!

Oh, my God! What else is in here?

Crocodiles in this lake.

Little ones.

I was like, "What?"

Crocodiles really live in this lake(!)

You just said it, and I'm meant to believe everything you say.

Jesus Christ. I'm not Wonder Woman.

You are. You're my Wonder Woman.

Nice. That was quite smoothly done.

-I love you.

-I love you, too.

You've used this on your legs, haven't you?

No!

-Yes, you have.

-Yeah, all right, then. Yeah.

Vicky knows how sensitive Craig is about his facial injuries.

The couple are going back to the hospital where Craig was brought after he was blown up

for a consultation with his plastic surgeon.

The reconstructive surgery, for Craig, I think is like the biggest thing out of everything.

When he's socialising with friends, he's always looking away or looking down and stuff.

-Does it hurt and stuff?

-There it does.

I personally don't think it's nothing bad or anything.

I don't see anything wrong with his face.

It's just he looks at himself and he looks at photos of him beforehand and he's just like,

"God, I look so different. I can't wait for the surgery."

While they're here, Vicky and Craig meet up with some of the nurses and military staff

who helped them after Craig was first injured.

Hiya, mate. You all right?

-Yeah, I'm fine. How are you?

-I'm very well, thank you.

-Good to meet you again.

-Nice to see you as well.

'On the night that Craig was brought in here, I was on duty as a military liaison officer.

'Vicky came in, and the first time I really met her'

she came bounding onto the ward and she did, you know,

confess her undying love for this young fellow.

He's more vain than me!

You were ugly anyway, so it doesn't matter. Come on.

Plastic surgeons can do anything nowadays. Orlando Bloom.

'Straight away, she accepted the fact he was poorly,'

she helped him in any way that he needed helping, whether it be,

"I'll clean you, I'll do this, I'll do that."

Nothing was out of the question. She was stalwart - very strong.

And for such a young girl, exceptional for that age.

And she became a tower of strength for him.

I know you want it done, so it's best.

Will you still love me?

Of course I will!

Close your mouth a little bit.

That scarring has settled very, very well, compared to how it was.

I'm constantly amazed by how well the soldiers cope.

It's in part of their make-up that they get on with things.

It's very humbling to see them just take what's dealt out to them

on the chin, so to speak, and then just get on with life.

For Craig, it's his face that matters,

but for Mr Evriviades, who operated on Craig after he was first injured,

the real worry is what's left of his legs.

I get up, but I'm in so much pain.

Because he's so young, the bone in Craig' stump is still growing.

It's now sticking out. And the pain it's causing is stopping him from learning to walk.

Sorry, Craig. Is that sore?

Yeah!

We'll try and trim away some of that excess bone and tissue.

It's not the bone of the leg. It's new bone that's formed in the soft tissues.

Which we will take away.

The stump is in a worse condition that his surgeon thought.

He decides to bring the operation forward to the following week.

And Craig will need to have an extra five inches taken off his leg.

It very much depends on what I find when we get in there.

-No complications, etc.

-And also how delicate it all is.

These aren't routine operations. I don't do any routine operations on soldiers.

-No, right. That's brilliant. Thank you.

-Bye-bye.

That's good. Sorted.

Far from being sorted, five weeks after his consultation, Craig is still in hospital.

The operation doesn't go well, and Craig contracts MRSA and septicaemia in his stump.

Victoria was crying on the phone.

She says, "They're just being mean to Craig, they're just being mean and not letting him go."

And I said to Victoria, this is what the difference in age...

"You must understand, Victoria, that they're not letting him go because there's something really wrong."

We never even visualised that anything would go wrong at all.

We just literally thought, "Go in, sort it out, come home,"

and that would be it.

As doctors battle against his infections,

Vicky knows that Craig's life is in the balance all over again.

It's just been operation after operation after operation.

There's been loads of stitches in and out.

Victoria phoned me 13 times one day, upset.

It's the not knowing, and then when people are saying that he's really, really, really ill,

she was frightened.

I said, You've got to think positive, Victoria, and you've got to be there for Craig."

But she said to me, "Mummy, he's really, really ill."

You think, "Oh, no, is he going to get out of this hospital?"

You know, there's always that 1% of doubt.

What if he just goes overnight?

What if just he sleeps bad, and then you get told that news that it's not going to work?

The nightmare of Craig's first hospitalisation has come back to haunt Vicky.

There's two ways you can look at it.

I look at it, I know it sounds bad, but the worst way, because I think that's where Craig nearly died.

So, I see it as like, you think, "Well, we got told he might not make the next day,

"we got told like he could die overnight."

This hospital may be the place that saved Craig,

but Vicky still finds it hard not to dread the place.

I got really upset. It's just...

I don't know. It's just one of them places I don't really want to visit back again.

For the first time, Vicky's showing her mum the diary she made while Craig was in hospital.

I just...

..really don't like that place.

'It's weird. You see so many injured lads.

'You see so much there.'

The only thing that keeps me sane is telling myself that he going to be all right.

'It's the only thing that keeps me going, knowing that he's going to be all right,

'after all these little things he's going to be all right.

'So, yeah.'

I didn't realise.

I was really shocked, when you put that thing on the television, and you were just talking.

I felt as if I'd let you down when I saw you was upset as you was.

I've got to grow up and deal with things on my own, haven't I?

Victoria, what do you mean, you've GOT to grow up?

Cos I've got to be mature in this situation, haven't I?

I've got to grow up, I've got to be an adult.

Oh, don't you set me off.

-Don't.

-Sorry. I know.

But you haven't failed me one bit.

Look at you. You like...

Look at other 16-year-olds, some of them in the same situation,

look seriously, like, look from the back and say, "Look, anybody else would have just gone."

Do you know what I mean? Some other people would have just gone.

But I didn't, cos I've been brought up properly to face things and not just run away at the first hurdle.

But you know, doesn't matter what it is, Vicky, you can tell me anything.

-I know, I know.

-And you can phone me 24 hours a day.

Good job I've got minutes, innit?

No, seriously.

Craig's infections were finally controlled, and he was discharged.

One month later, and Vicky's thrilled to have him back and feeling better,

and she's organised a party to celebrate their engagement.

We need the barbecue taken out of the garage, but I'll get the keys in a moment.

It's actually absolutely amazing to finally celebrate it.

Still people are like, "Oh, are you engaged?"

It's a bit of a shame when people don't even know that we're engaged,

so finally now it's like, official, it's proper now.

But none of Vicky's friends have decided to come.

We invited I think it was about 25 people originally.

It's a bit upsetting that not more people from York are coming,

cos not one person from York's coming at all, so....

She was really upset yesterday about it, which ain't nice.

She just feels, like, really lonely.

But I don't want, like, it to seem like I've dragged her away from everything,

like I've made it so she hasn't got not no friends or owt.

I find it hard, like, knowing that your mates are a bit worried to see Craig,

but there's all different types of getting used to it, isn't there, really?

Cos not a lot of people are ready to see someone as injured as Craig.

You know, it's not something you see every day, which I understand.

It was hard enough for me, so imagine what it's going to be like for friends.

It's going to start pouring down now.

Don't jinx it!

Vicky's getting a bit hectic and a bit stressed.

Oh, it's raining! No! No!

Right, plan B. The next room.

I've gone through 33 packets of crisps now.

I need balloons blowing up, everything. I need everything sorted now.

I've just passed it like that because I haven't got time, Craig.

It helps Craig, because it makes him feel like he's bit of a burden on me when, like, I say, like,

"I'm stressed out, I'm tired and I've got too much to do."

So when his mates are round it's like,

I can get on with this whilst they have a laugh with him or summat.

It's going to be good. It's going to be a good night.

I mean, I'm 20 now and I haven't really grown up myself. You know?

So I think they've done really, really well for growing up so quick like that.

I don't think I would have been able to.

I would have been in tears every day.

Amazing. She's just stood by him, hasn't she, all the way through it? Unbelievable.

I know a lot of people would have just walked away, but she hasn't.

She's just stayed there all the time.

Is that the kind of girlfriend you'd want?

-Yeah.

-Damn right!

-Check?

-Mirror going out and mirrors going in.

-Well done.

And then keep checking down the road, and it's 30 miles an hour.

Tomorrow's a big day for Vicky.

She'll be sitting her driving test, and has to hope she passes.

She's already got herself a car.

I've seen Google pictures. Peugeot 206!

How excited are you out of ten?

Ten! Definitely, yeah,

because that's what I could be driving tomorrow night.

Vicky and Craig can't just hop on a bus.

They need a car to get around.

For Vicky, driving's not just a teenage rite of passage.

It's essential to be able to travel with Craig, and without Mum.

-What happens if you don't like it?

-I will. I definitely will.

It's my first car, I've got to.

Anything that's metal and four wheels and got an engine, I'll like it.

It's my first car.

Let's look for a...

-62 or something.

-Peugeot.

Ooh, is that it?

Is that it? That is it as well! Oh!

-Oh, it is!

-Oh, it is, it is. You need to park up, Mam.

Don't it look good? I must admit, it does look good!

There's you asking if I wouldn't love it! I do!

Oh, it's absolutely gorgeous!

Oh, it is proper Quiksilver as well!

Craig, have a ganders at this! Go past.

Eh, you're getting good, Mam. Watch the paint!

-Oh, cool!

-Can't you get used to this?

Me driving around!

SHE IMITATES AN ENGINE

-Rev it!

-I don't want to. I don't want to, cos I don't want to break it, I don't want to snap anything.

Jesus, Craig!

-Put the clutch in.

-No!

Whoa, you've just done summat.

-Was it sore?

-No, lift that up again.

No! No!

Stop messing about. You're not allowed to mess about in this car.

HORN BLARES

Craig messing about. Sorry!

Hypothetically, if I pass my test tomorrow,

I can just take you to the caravan, can't I?

I can just, right, pack all the stuff in back, get all your mates down, we'll go.

Do you know what I mean, innit? I could get used to this!

The next day, Vicky fails her driving test. It's another blow.

Without her driving licence, she can't help Craig get around.

This is... Oh, my God!

But today she's going to meet the one person she feels she can talk to about the challenges she faces.

-Hello! How are you?

-All right!

Vicky met Christine when her son was in the bed opposite Craig in critical care.

'Her son had actually got injured out in Afghanistan.

'He'd got injured, I think, a week before Craig.'

It sounds horrible to say, but it's like, well, and I obviously just told her.

I says, "Look, he's in there, he's lost both his legs," and all this,

and she was, like, "My son's got..." And you sort of relate to each other through,

to say, and I know it sounds awful, but, like, the worst story that you could tell someone.

-How's your son doing?

-Yeah, well, did you hear they're having another baby?

-No!

Yeah, so, erm, the blast didn't damage that bit!

THEY LAUGH

Christine is a grandmother, 30 years older than Vicky.

But that doesn't stop her from having moments where she feels she can't cope.

I was crying my eyes out as I was hoovering, but talking to myself -

I was in the house on my own, and I'm going, "You're not going to die, you're not going to die.

"God, you're not let going to let him die..."

And I felt like I was losing my marbles. I did.

And she knows how hard it is for Vicky.

They put Craig in the bed opposite, and...oh, God, I can remember it like it was yesterday.

He was so, so poorly, and I remember looking at him and thinking, "His poor mum."

He looks like a little child.

Well, he did look like a little boy in the bed. There was nothing there of him.

-I could still cry about it now. Couldn't you?

-Oh, yeah, I do. I have had the...

-Nearly killed me.

-Yeah, I bet.

'I always remember her mum saying to me that she's worried

'for her, worried that... is she strong enough to cope?

'She's only a young girl.'

Having two teenage daughters, if they were in that position,

and being their mum, like Vicky's mum, I would

be worried, and I would feel they'd taken on a huge thing.

While the path Vicky has chosen isn't easy, she knows

that back at Headley Court, Craig faces his own challenges.

I thought you were going to bring him with you today, Craig.

He's gone back to Headley Court. He went back on Sunday night.

-He's gone back where?

-Headley Court.

That's where he learns to walk and everything.

He was on his legs today. Cos he had the operation, didn't he?

And that sort of changed his legs so they had to do everything again and start over,

so they've said, like, he'll be walking perfectly

in a good few months, but he'll be walking OK in a few weeks. You know, it's one of them sort of things.

He says it's like riding a bike.

Once you've cracked it, you can do it, but once you're learning

it's like, "Ohhh..."

Like the other soldiers at Headley Court, Craig starts on short legs

in the hope that soon he'll be standing tall in full-length legs.

Getting there takes a massive effort.

-Cosa that, like, really hurts.

-Yeah.

And it just feels like as soon as you're on it, it's too painful.

And I can't pull my hips forward, either, because of it.

There. Right there kills.

Everybody here's just, "Yeah, I'm going to do this tomorrow. I'm going to learn how to do this,

I'm going to set myself challenges."

You've got to be like that, though, or you'll just start plateauing, you'll stay at one level.

Everything's effort. Everything is effort.

Like, getting into my chair is so much effort it's unreal.

You know, like...walking around

on my stubbies is so much effort.

Even getting up from laying down... Just so much effort.

It's more... You use more energy, and that, don't you?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. They say you use three hundred times more energy than when you've got legs.

Craig's helped by the fact that everyone around him is in the same boat.

But there's one thing HE has that many others don't.

It's for a bit of attention...?

INDISTINCT CONVERSATION ON OTHER END

Is he talking to her now, is he?

Every night for about three hours, I can't get to bloody sleep with him talking on t'phone.

He really loves her. Talks about her all the time.

He says to me he wouldn't be where he is now without her,

so... Love story.

I've heard about blokes that have got back with their injuries,

and their girlfriend's split up with them cos of their injuries and stuff,

so, yeah - she's a rock to him by t'sounds of it.

With long stretches apart from each other, Vicky is left with

time to think about her own future, and the possibility of a career.

When you're 17 you think you'll leave school, you'll go to college, you're with your mates,

learn how to drive and that's like, the fairy-tale story, but I'm not there, so I've missed out.

All my old friends, they all have that one thing in common.

They can all say, "Oh, look what happened today at college.

"Look, this happened today at college."

And obviously, I can't really include myself in that conversation.

Vicky knows that whilst her life has put been on hold, the rest of the world has moved on.

She's determined not to be left behind.

She wants to sort herself out and move on.

She's applied at quite a few different sixth forms.

They've said, like, at Doncaster there's a place if I

want it, but I'd have to obviously go through the process of it, obviously.

I'm excited about actually making the decision to

buckle down and sort out my education, and get things sorted now.

Today we're having a May fair.

It's like, going on a parade through the village.

I know every lad my age round here, and younger.

I think most of the community'll be out there as well, so, like, they'll want to see me.

People are there, so happy to see him, cos you look around and

everyone's there with big smiles on their faces.

He's a local lad who's been living here all his life.

They're so proud of what he did, cos he's served his country from such

a young age, so I think just people are proud to know that he's from where they are.

Hi!

It makes him feel, like, happy that people are all right with him.

At the parade, Craig's enjoying his moment in the limelight.

One, two, three...

-Thank you. Thanks, Craig.

-That's all right.

Among those who want to meet him is a guest speaker from the States.

Even in his time at Headley Court, Craig has never met anyone with a condition quite like Jeff's.

-So, how long have you been an amputee?

-I was born this way.

-Oh, was you?

-Yeah. I was born with no arms.

Oh, nightmare.

Have you got erm... a bio-electric arm?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

Yeah, that's bio-electric.

I actually have a hand. In the bus.

Oh, yeah, I'm getting one. That's good.

They're really good at gripping, aren't they?

My left arm, I can't tense my bicep or tricep yet.

-So you're below the elbow.

-Yeah. Yeah.

See, I'm above the elbow.

I don't have an elbow, at all. So my whole arm goes only up to here.

Oh, yeah, yeah.

That is awesome, innit?

Yeah. It's amazing what they can do.

-PA:

-Ladies and gentlemen, if you'd make your way over to the main arena in the church,

the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of South Yorkshire will open the festival.

This is awesome. You've got neater handwriting than me!

-You keep it up, Craig.

-Yeah, same to you.

-God bless you. You're a masterpiece.

-Brilliant.

And in the crowd, there's a surprise guest...

Evo! Fuckin' hell.

How's it going, bud?

..Craig's old squaddie mate Evo.

-How are you?

-Yeah, I'm good.

-Why have you come down, then?

-Just for this.

-Wow. That's nice.

-I've just been following you up the road.

-Have you?

What have they said back at battalion, that it's all right for you to go?

Yeah, yeah. They've authorised it, they've cleared it.

Evo and Craig were really good friends, cos they went out to Afghanistan together.

Evo was one of the first people to go and see Craig when he did get blown up. They can talk for hours

about different things that happened in Afghanistan,

and they can laugh about it. I'd be like, "How can you laugh about it?"

Do you want me to put it up...?

'His injuries were too serious, so it was strictly like,

'just medical staff who were allowed to visit him.

'So I found that hard, the fact that I knew

'he was nearby, and he was injured,

'but I couldn't go and see for myself that he was OK.'

When he was injured, it was hard. Cos he's like a little brother.

The last time Evo saw Craig walking, Craig was six foot four inches tall.

I was in er... They'd loaded me with morphine and that,

and it was the last day I was in critical care.

Everyone'd be telling me, like, "Oh, you've lost your legs."

The doctors came and explained what had happened, and I was just like that...

looking round. Everyone had their legs and that. I thought, "No way. This isn't happening."

And then I started crying my eyes out, proper roaring.

Laid in bed like that - "Why has he got legs?

"Why has HE got legs? Why has HE got legs?!"

It was horrible, mate. But er...yeah, I've got over it.

I think the best bit was when you were going on about "I've still got my willy!"

CRAIG LAUGHS

Yeah, I was saying to all t'nurses, "I ain't got it."

"Yes, you have! It's there." "No, I haven't."

Then they just put a mirror there and I was, like..."I have!"

I was happy.

When people ask me how many got injured... "Me."

"Yeah, how many more?" "Me."

"Well, how many died?"

"No-one. It was just me.

"I took the full force of it.

"I took one for the team."

'Craig hasn't changed much at all in the past year.

'His life's changed, he hasn't changed.

'He's just been put in a more grown-up situation.'

But he's dealt with it just the way he would have done beforehand.

It was good to see you.

Nice to see you, mate.

Right, see you later!

For Vicky and Craig, catching up with Evo has been a welcome relief from the daily grind.

Would you like me to lift you?

-Nah. You'll hurt your back.

-Good.

I'm doing, like, four times as much as I was doing a few years ago, and it's just, like...

Cos I'm obviously constantly lifting him, moving him about,

running around after him.

Just keep on going, keep on going,

and then, like, at the end of the month

I'll just be like...I'm absolutely exhausted, where I'm ill.

So I like, look forward to going to bed! You know.

Like, finally sleep.

But I'm doing it for Craig.

I worry about his welfare before mine.

Effort. Everything's an effort. Everything.

Even looking at people - effort.

Imagine if this was as slow as everyone walked.

I've just realised, like, it is going to be harder than it was before.

We think he's going to have more operations on his other legs,

he's going to have more operations on his arms

cos he can't move one of them, and... You know, there's so much more to deal with.

It's hard. It's really hard. And whoever thinks it's easy,

they're really wrong!

One, two, three...

It's a challenging new world for Vicky, but being engaged

to an injured young soldier also brings some unexpected surprises.

Today, the couple have been invited to London to appear on a daytime TV show.

It's the first time Vicky has ever been to the capital.

I'm really excited about going. I've never gone out of York,

and it's like...

I'm going to a new place, I'm going to London. This is like, amazing for me!

When they get to the station, the train manager hears Craig's story and upgrades him to first class.

For Vicky, it's a glimpse of the hero's treatment her fiance sometimes receives.

It's nice, isn't it?

This is weird. This is weird, Craig. This is a good weird, though.

(This is a bit too posh for me, don't you think?)

This is what you are to me, baby -

first class.

-Aww! Thank you, baby.

-Ha-ha.

You swirl your tea without hitting the sides.

SPOON CHINKS

-That's going to be one of them pet hates I have about you!

-What?

-Are we in London, then?

-Don't know.

Oh, my God, it's busy.

This is what it's like. There's a Burger King...

Red telephone boxes!

Look at the massive buildings.

Red buses! Told you there was red buses!

-You know the noise of London?

-Yeah. That's the noise of London.

MUSIC: "LDN" by Lily Allen

Oh, my God.

Now, this is busy.

This is mental, Craig...

Bit like playing Monopoly, but real live Monopoly.

Oh, this is going to be fun.

-Excuse me, mate.

-Excuse me...

Sorry if I caught you.

Sorry...

You don't realise how big London is.

It's huge!

How can people not get lost? Seriously...!

There's one place in particular that Craig and Vicky want to see

while they're here - the Cenotaph memorial.

It's all the different flags of countries...

This is where World War One and Two... They've been, like, been buried here and stuff.

It's one heck of a place.

Everybody who got injured -

you've come close to nearly dying, you know what I mean?

We nearly lost you.

I know.

I know it sounds horrible, but you're one of the lucky ones.

-I'm lucky, but I'm not that lucky.

-Oh, yeah,

you're not the luckiest person in the world, but...

just a lot of respect goes out there for everybody else.

-It bit overwhelming, really, isn't it?

-Are you all right?

-What?

-Are you all right?

-Yeah, yeah.

I don't know where we're going. So I don't know if I'm crossing the road or what.

-Haven't got a clue.

-Oh - no, it's...

Well, there's This Morning...

They've arrived at the This Morning studios.

All they've got to do now is find the disabled access.

-Where's Vicky?

-She's just in there getting her make-up done.

-Hello, Vicky!

Backstage, Vicky and Craig rub shoulders with the celebs -

and for Craig, there's an unexpected connection to one famous name.

-Just want to say hello to this man.

-Craig, this is Piers.

-How are you, mate?

-Hi, Piers.

-Good to see you.

-Hi, how are you?

-I'm good.

My brother's in Afghanistan at the moment. He's with the Royal Welch.

-Where were you, in Helmand?

-Yeah, Sangin.

-My brother said it's tough down there.

-Yeah, it's horrible.

-And when were you out there?

-Er...last April.

April the 28th, wasn't it? Three days after his 18th.

Yeah... Nice birthday present.

Hello! Nice to meet you.

-Hi - Amanda. Lovely to meet you.

-Craig and Vicky...

Hello, lovely to meet you.

-How did you two meet?

-At a caravan site.

-Oh, really?

Really romantic, yeah(!)

It's really nice.

-You chose that one, didn't you? He chose that by himself.

-Oh, well done! Good choice!

Oh, my God...

Oh, my God, Mum, right, we've just had a conversation with Piers Morgan, AND Amanda Holden!

Oh, Mum, I can't even explain it...

Just how starstruck I am!

Come on through...

Nine, eight, seven, six, five,

four, three, two, one.

On the promo.

-EAMONN:

-Craig's dreams of fighting for his country were shattered

when he was hit by a roadside bomb.

He lost both his legs, and he had to have an arm amputated.

It is delightful to see you both - and as Eamonn said this morning, this is a love story...

Before he was blown up, Craig sent a letter to Vicky's mum Gay.

It was only after she heard of his injuries, that Gay found the letter on her doorstep.

"Me and Vicky are very, very happy together, and I miss her very much.

"I'm glad that...

"I'm glad that Vicky..." Sorry.

"I'm glad that Vicky said yes to my proposal, even though we're very young.

"I'd like to think as a couple we're quite mature."

What did you think about going out with a soldier?

Well, at the time, it was sort of like I was in a little bubble.

I was thinking, "Oh, I'm going out with a man in uniform. He's my soldier."

You don't think about the danger.

-You're quite proud.

-Yeah, I was proud of him.

"I love your daughter with every bit of my heart.

"Life without her would be very dull and boring.

"I think it's safe to say we are a couple. We complete each other."

-Why did you stay?

-I loved him before he went out, and I just knew that

I wanted to stay with him.

-But he gave you the choice?

-Yeah, he gave me the choice.

-Did that make you love him more?

-Yeah.

"And I just want to thank you

"for having such an amazing daughter.

"Thanks for being supportive, Gay,

"and really being generally cool. Love, Craig."

You've been both an inspiration.

Absolutely beautiful love story, and every success to you, Craig.

But not every love story always has a happy ending.

It's been almost 12 months since Craig's accident - and a year is a long time when you're a teenager.

Far more, when something has happened to change your life forever.

-Been a roller coaster, hasn't it, really?

-Yeah.

-Hasn't gone smoothly, but...

-Grown up much more.

-We're just, er...

-Well, we've dealt with a lot.

Can I have a nice hug? Nice hug...

He's not the same person as he was, like, two years ago physically - but he is mentally.

Like, this is still Craig, it's just he's got wheels instead of legs.

Might as well buy some crisps...

As Victoria said to me, it's not always dark at six o'clock.

And I couldn't understand what she meant by that.

But it's true. There's the light at the end of the tunnel.

But obviously, you can't map out what's going to happen to your kids.

We don't know what's round the corner.

For her to stay with me is just... it's just amazing.

I mean, how many other 17-year-olds have got a boyfriend who's a triple amputee?

So yeah, it's...a bit hard.

That's life, though, innit?

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