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Welcome home party for injured Shropshire soldier Simon Vaughan
Wednesday 11th May 2011, 8:00PM BST.
Corporal Simon Vaughan
A Shropshire soldier badly injured in a bomb blast in Afghanistan is to be joined by about 100 friends and family for a home-coming party this weekend.
Corporal Simon Vaughan, of Hodnet, recently returned to the county for the first time in two-and-a-half years and wanted to mark the occasion as well as celebrate his 27th birthday.
The event will take place in Hodnet Social Club on Saturday.
Mr Vaughan, a married father-of-one, suffered a serious brain injury after the vehicle he was travelling in drove over an unexploded bomb in December 2008.
Now he is battling his way back to health and defying doctors who treated him after the explosion.
They warned he might never be able to breathe unaided and could remain in a vegetative state.
But determined Mr Vaughan, who was tipped by top brass for a role in the SAS, is now alert and breathing for himself.
Speaking through a special communication aid, Mr Vaughan, a former pupil at The Grove School in Market Drayton, said he wanted to celebrate “being alive”. He hopes to move to a bungalow at Ercall Heath, near Newport, where he plans to live with wife Donna and son Ben. Until then he will stay in a Newport care home.
Donna said: “It’s amazing to have him home. Just to be able to go and see him daily and take him out is wonderful. We are still waiting for responses, but we are expecting a good turnout on Saturday, about 100 people.
“Simon said he wanted a party to celebrate his homecoming, birthday and to just be alive.”
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I wish Simon and his family all the very best and hope simon, you have a fantastic home coming party. You are a true hero.
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Welcome home you are a HERO hope you have a good time with family and your friends.
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A TRUE hero indeed, welcome back Simon, thank you, and all the very best for your recovery.
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What a Hero, well done Simon and all the best for the future, Thank You for all that you did for Our country
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