For anyone suffering the loss of a limb they will have experienced the gamut of human emotion. Yet when gifted Scottish author and military historian Ian Colquhoun suffered the loss of two limbs, his legs, in a vicious attack he said it was the best thing to happen to him.
After going through in excess of 20 operations, being near to death so many times and suffering first degree burns you would not expect anyone to be grateful of what happened to them. Believed to be near to death, Ian was administered the Last Rites on no less than occasions! Many online news reports of his plight prompted multiple-thousands to send their prayers for his revival.
Ian says, "The night I lost my legs started out as any other. I was living in Dundalk, in the Irish Republic. I'd moved there for a new career as a warehouseman. I met a girl there and after ten days of going out with her we went to a party not far from the house I shared with work colleagues. At the party I had a few drinks and fell asleep on the settee. All I remember was waking up and seeing some strange men looting the room. I didn't have time to take in how many of them were there. Within seconds, one of them swung a pick-axe handle at me. I must have passed out because my last memory is of seeing bright lights - then nothing! Seven weeks later I awoke from a coma."
The road to recovery has been a long personal battle where Ian even considered suicide a number of times. Having little prospect of working in a 'normal' 9-5 job made Ian consider other occupations. He had an interest in military history since a child and decided to embark on a writing career. Although he had no experience of writing, he penned two books which were accepted for publication. Furthering his interests even more, Ian took up an opportunity to become a movie stuntman. He would later find that his loss of limbs would actually be an advantage to some of the roles he was offered to play. Sadly the Irish authorities did not deem his circumstances strong enough to warrant a compensation payout, and no one has been brought to justice for the attack.
The former warehouseman has turned his life around since his ten month stay in hospital following the incident in Eire. Prior to being fitted with made to measure prosthetic limbs he spent two-and-a-half years in a wheelchair.
Some seven years later, Ian saw his autobiography, "Burnt", about his experiences published, and in another success he was invited on a UK TV book review show where his book was feted as "well written" by The Richards & Judy Show's Richard Madeley. Continuing in his good fortune, Ian starred as an injured sailor in the big screen film based on the real life sinking of the US Navy warship USS Indianapolis. The film covered how the ship's 900 sailors were swimming for their lives in shark infested waters in Guam during the Second World War.
Recalling the first time he was told that he had lost his legs Ian says, "I couldn't accept what they were saying! I threw back the sheets as I could still feel my toes, but unbelievably my legs were gone! I looked on with disbelief, as I looked in more detail I could see my torso was all charred and sure enough ... my legs were off! I was shattered; my whole life was finished, over! Life wasn't worth living, what had I to live for? I lay there in total desolation. Amazingly, though, now years later from that dreadful experience I see losing my legs as a blessing in disguise, it propelled me into a new life. Being parted from my legs is the greatest thing to have happened to me, and it made me into a more complete person than I have ever been."
Ian, now stunt trained and proficient in the use of many pre'00 firearms, has penned his own life story called "Burnt" in anticipation that it will give hope to amputees around the world.
After going through in excess of 20 operations, being near to death so many times and suffering first degree burns you would not expect anyone to be grateful of what happened to them. Believed to be near to death, Ian was administered the Last Rites on no less than occasions! Many online news reports of his plight prompted multiple-thousands to send their prayers for his revival.
Ian says, "The night I lost my legs started out as any other. I was living in Dundalk, in the Irish Republic. I'd moved there for a new career as a warehouseman. I met a girl there and after ten days of going out with her we went to a party not far from the house I shared with work colleagues. At the party I had a few drinks and fell asleep on the settee. All I remember was waking up and seeing some strange men looting the room. I didn't have time to take in how many of them were there. Within seconds, one of them swung a pick-axe handle at me. I must have passed out because my last memory is of seeing bright lights - then nothing! Seven weeks later I awoke from a coma."
The road to recovery has been a long personal battle where Ian even considered suicide a number of times. Having little prospect of working in a 'normal' 9-5 job made Ian consider other occupations. He had an interest in military history since a child and decided to embark on a writing career. Although he had no experience of writing, he penned two books which were accepted for publication. Furthering his interests even more, Ian took up an opportunity to become a movie stuntman. He would later find that his loss of limbs would actually be an advantage to some of the roles he was offered to play. Sadly the Irish authorities did not deem his circumstances strong enough to warrant a compensation payout, and no one has been brought to justice for the attack.
The former warehouseman has turned his life around since his ten month stay in hospital following the incident in Eire. Prior to being fitted with made to measure prosthetic limbs he spent two-and-a-half years in a wheelchair.
Some seven years later, Ian saw his autobiography, "Burnt", about his experiences published, and in another success he was invited on a UK TV book review show where his book was feted as "well written" by The Richards & Judy Show's Richard Madeley. Continuing in his good fortune, Ian starred as an injured sailor in the big screen film based on the real life sinking of the US Navy warship USS Indianapolis. The film covered how the ship's 900 sailors were swimming for their lives in shark infested waters in Guam during the Second World War.
Recalling the first time he was told that he had lost his legs Ian says, "I couldn't accept what they were saying! I threw back the sheets as I could still feel my toes, but unbelievably my legs were gone! I looked on with disbelief, as I looked in more detail I could see my torso was all charred and sure enough ... my legs were off! I was shattered; my whole life was finished, over! Life wasn't worth living, what had I to live for? I lay there in total desolation. Amazingly, though, now years later from that dreadful experience I see losing my legs as a blessing in disguise, it propelled me into a new life. Being parted from my legs is the greatest thing to have happened to me, and it made me into a more complete person than I have ever been."
Ian, now stunt trained and proficient in the use of many pre'00 firearms, has penned his own life story called "Burnt" in anticipation that it will give hope to amputees around the world.
About the Author:
writer, historian and double leg amputee Ian Colquhoun is an inspiration to all. See his sensationalstory here in his book "Burnt".
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