Double amputee is raising money for a new leg

17 June 2019, 15:21 | Updated: 17 June 2019, 15:26

A double amputee says he's stuck indoors because the NHS can't afford to give him the prosthetic leg he needs.

James Lyon is a 46 year old Dad of three, but he spends most of his time in his house in Torquay.

He had his right arm and leg amputated after complications caused by cerebral palsy, but the prosthetic leg he has from the NHS doesn’t let him live a normal life.

He says because of the cerebral palsy, he has trouble with his balance, and the prosthetic leg he’s got means he struggles walking on anything other than a flat smooth surface.

James says because of his condition, walking on slopes or uneven ground means he sways from side to side, and without his right arm for balance, he often falls over.

But there are prosthetic limbs that can help him walk around and live an active life, they just aren’t available on the NHS.

He says his GP has applied for grants, but the NHS just doesn’t have the funding to help him, so he’s trying to do it himself.

Now he’s set up a crowdfunding page to raise £15,000 for a prosthetic leg that’ll let him live a normal life.

James says his mental health is suffering as a result, as he spends up to 16 hours a day stuck inside, unable to go for a walk because of the pain caused by his current prosthetic leg.

He’s hoping to be able to raise enough money for a private prosthetics company to give him the leg he needs to be an active dad.

He says " My wish is to do normal everyday activities with my wife and children. To go on days out and go away, to go and see friends and stay over. To walk my dogs. Just to go for a walk would be lovely. I want to have lead a more active lifestyle, not be stuck in doors everyday".