When OU student Andrew Fenwick-Green broke his back while serving in the Army, he feared his life was ‘effectively over’. Though he has suffered severe trauma and ongoing mental and physical challenges, Andrew is now focused on a new career and is studying Computing through The Open University’s Disabled Veterans’ Scholarships Fund. The Fund is in place to help veterans like Andrew receive the funding and support needed to pursue fulfilling lives outside the military.
Andrew’s story so far
“In the moments after my back injury, I was lying on the ground unable to move from the neck down and I realised I had done some real damage,” says Andrew. “I thought my life was over effectively. I thought I was going to require ongoing support to live.”
Over the years, Andrew luckily regained independence and had surgery and rehabilitation at RAF Headley Court, which he says helped him mentally as well as physically. Despite this, dealing with his injuries and adapting to life outside of the military home he had known was an uphill struggle.
“After being discharged from military service I almost felt forgotten about. It feels like the system doesn’t want you to do things. A few years after my injury, in 2001, I enrolled in a degree course at my local university. But then I had a fall, this led to a lot of surgery and I had to pull out of my degree course.
“I always planned to return to studying but I spent the next 15 years having, on average, one or two surgeries a year. I couldn’t commit to full-time education but when I applied for student loans to study part-time, I was turned down. The setbacks I experienced meant I put the idea of studying to bed.”
Finding new hope for the future
The constant cycle of surgery, recovery and suffering with illness and infections along the way has taken its toll. Andrew admits he has hit rock bottom at times and says; “Sometimes it felt like there was nothing and I couldn’t see a future in anything.”
When a fellow veteran told Andrew about the Disabled Veterans’ Scholarships Fund and the opportunity to study with The Open University for free, he decided to apply and to his surprise, received a scholarship place.
“When I received a letter of acceptance it was a complete surprise and meant I could finish something I had started all those years before. Being injured, it’s easy to just sit down and do nothing. But now, studying with the OU has given me a hard focus, I’ve got deadlines to keep to and assignments to do now.”
With an interest in computer maintenance and solving problems, Andrew chose to study for an Open Degree in Computing, which suits his capabilities.
“I’m in my mid-forties and I’ve still got 15 to 20 years ahead of me to seek employment opportunities. Even if I can’t work full-time, a part-time job would give me some self-esteem back.
“The Disabled Veterans’ Scholarships Fund has offered me, and the other veterans, access to education that we wouldn’t get otherwise and it’s an absolute godsend. I’d like to thank everyone who has supported the scheme and made this opportunity a possibility.”
Supporting military heroes like Andrew
Thank you to everyone who donated to the DVSF through The Big Give and helped us to reach our match-funding goal. Though the match-funding part of the campaign has ended, we would still be hugely grateful for any support you can give to the Disabled Veterans' Scholarships Fund. Your gifts fund scholarships so that more disabled veterans like Andrew can receive life-changing access to education and wraparound disability support. It really does make the world of difference for a student like Andrew looking to retrain and build a brighter future, so please donate if you can.