“The Fund is the friend that is always there”

RAF veteran Mike Goody is no stranger to adversity, having pieced his life back together after he sustained life-changing injuries in an IED blast in Afghanistan in 2009. The RAF Benevolent Fund was there from the beginning, from financial support to regain his independence, to emotional support through a bereavement 11 years later.

Senior Aircraftman Mike Goody was on patrol with the RAF Regiment in Afghanistan in October 2008, when his vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device. He was trapped under his vehicle for three hours and suffered a composite fracture of his left ankle.

Despite enduring 14 unsuccessful surgeries to reconstruct his left foot, Mike was still facing constant pain from his injury and eventually made the difficult decision to undergo a below the knee amputation.

The RAF Benevolent Fund was there for Mike’s parents immediately following the accident and approached Mike to support him through his recovery. The Fund stepped in and awarded a grant enabling him to purchase an automatic vehicle suitable for his needs.

The Fund also assisted Mike with funding towards his resettlement training and house adaptations, enabling Mike to regain his independence.

Mike said: “After my accident, I was completely reliant on other people. I couldn’t walk or drive. I was getting taxis and relying on military transport to travel between my base at RAF Honington and my rehabilitation at Headley Court in Surrey. I was getting lifts from mates just to go to the shops; it was a debilitating feeling. I started to feel like a massive burden on people.

“The Fund helped me regain my independence, which was a massive thing for me and just completely lifechanging. I suddenly felt like I wasn’t alone.”

When Mike lost his father in 2019, he described being thrown into ‘psychological turmoil’. Mike said: “When I was first injured, I was struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), addicted to my meds, struggling with alcoholism and dark thoughts. I was quick to anger; there were red flags at every angle.

“Back then, going through all the therapies, I started to learn what my triggers were, so when this started to present itself again, I just knew it was time to unpack my grief and deal with everything I had been bottling up.”

Mike tried to get help through the NHS but was met with a six to nine-month waiting list. The Fund’s Listening and Counselling Service was the emotional support Mike needed. He said: “The Fund’s counselling helped massively. It gave me the ability to vent my feelings and frustrations to someone else and helped me to come up with techniques to cope. It was just nice to have access to someone who knows all these different things to try. I do not want to think about what would have happened if I had not had the counselling. I dread to think.”

Mike credits the counselling he received with giving him the tools to cope through his grief and his re-emerging PTSD. With the subsequent loss of his mother in 2022, Mike said: “I was grateful to have the tools to better manage my emotions. I have a great support network; my wife, Sara, is my absolute rock, but she shouldn’t be dealing with that sort of thing.”

Mike has been an Ambassador for the Fund since 2013, sharing his story at events, and corporate talks, encouraging others to reach out if they are in need. Mike also volunteers his skill and knowledge in his role as Flying Officer at his local Air Cadet squadron.

He concluded: “The Fund is the friend that is always there but should not have to be there. People suffer in silence and just crack on. But it is okay to not be okay and ask for help – that is the hardest step.”