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Chorley soldier fights for life
A Chorley soldier is recovering in hospital after suffering horrific injuries on the frontline in Afghanistan.
Anthony Cooper, 22, of Euxton, suffered catastrophic injuries after stepping on an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) whilst serving his first tour of duty in the war-torn country.
He lost both his legs from the knee down, his right eye, two fingers on his left hand and the tips of his fingers on his right.
He also suffered a severe brain injury and has had to have re-constructive surgery.
Now, his mum, Shelley Cooper, who has been keeping a bedside vigil at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, in Birmingham, has made the difficult decision to publish pictures of him in a bid to highlight the plight of British soldiers who are being injured on the frontline.
She has spoken for the first time as her son remains in critical care and faces a long road to recovery.
She said: "Sadly we are reminded every day of the costs of war when soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice are brought home in coffins.
"They are given a hero's welcome and rightly so, but it is very rare that we are told about the injured soldiers and what has happened to them.
"Many are only young and they are suffering life-changing injuries, but there isn't a memorial to honour them and we don't even get to hear about what has happened.
"I was naive to it all and that's even with my son serving in Afghanistan, but when we went to the hospital for the first time the whole ward was filled with young lads who will eventually be sent home and discharged from the army and we shouldn't let what they have sacrificed be forgotten."
* Read the full interview with Shelley in this week's Chorley and Leyland Guardian - out now.
Send your messages of support to Anthony and his family be emailing: natalie.banks@lep.co.uk or writing to 32a Market Street, Chorley, PR7 2RY. Alternatively ring: 01257 264911.
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Weather for Chorley
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 13 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 11 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North east
