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Injured Edinburgh soldier on 'daunting' moment doctors 'didn't know what to do'
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An Edinburgh soldier who lost his eye during a patrol in Kenya is determined to inspire others.
Steven Williams, 42, was discharged from the army in 2011 after a branch snapped back in his face in Nairobi. He kept going as there was 'no blood', but couldn't see by morning.
After returning to his unit in Edinburgh, he went through twelve operations - before doctors gave him the option of further treatments or removing his eye. He made the difficult decision to have the operation in May of 2011, and was told he was 'no longer fit to serve'.
Steven admits feeling he had lost 'his job and purpose, and felt completely lost'. He started getting help from Sight Scotland Veterans, which he hailed as 'invaluable'.
Now, he's taking on four Kilt Walks this year in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee. Along with his partner, he's looking to highlight the work of Sight Scotland Veterans.
Recalling his time in the army, Steven said: "'I served ten years in the Army, starting with the Royal Scots. I did a couple of tours in Iraq and each one was completely different.
"The first was intense combat, modern day warfare. The second was more about training the Iraqi Army to be self-sufficient and allow the British Armed Forces to leave. There were some hairy moments along the way, we got blown up by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in the back of a FV510 Warrior, an armoured vehicle, during one patrol down 'Route Irish' which is a 7.5mile stretch from the Green Zone to Bagdad's Internation Airport.
"The FV510 Warrior was immobilised when an IED detonated at the front, striking the engine, if it hadn't, I wouldn't be here to tell the story. Our training automatically kicked in and we secured the site but thankfully there was no secondary fire."
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Steven heard that The Black Watch were seeking a 30-man platoon from Scottish regiments for an upcoming deployment in Afghanistan. Admitting that he was 'naively feeling invincible', he volunteered.
Part of the training was in Kenya. He recalled: "After four weeks in the field near Nairobi, a branch snapped back during a patrol and struck me in the eye. There was no blood, and you couldn't really stop, so I kept going, but by morning I couldn't see.
"I was CASEVAC (casualty evacuated) from the field and taken to hospital in Nairobi where they removed part of the thorn. I flew back with a field doctor having drops put in my eye every fifteen minutes during a ten-hour flight.
'Back in the UK, and I remember being in Heathrow and I was still wearing my dusty and dirty camouflage clothing, and the field doctor went into one of those fancy designer shops and bought some 'civvy' clothes. I went to Moorfields Eye Hospital in London to stabilise my eye and I was transferred to Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre for a week before returning to my unit in Edinburgh. I still had the eye, but I had no central vision."
Doctors 'didn't know what to do' after a dozen treatments, and after two years of being unable to serve, Steven felt he was ready to leave the army. He admits it was 'daunting'.
(Image: Sight Scotland Veterans)
He continued: "Things got extremely hard. I started to feel sorry for myself and I didn't know what to do. I essentially lost my eye, my job, my purpose, and I felt completely lost.
"It was around this time I started to get help from Sight Scotland Veterans and my independent living worker in Midlothian was amazing. She supported not just me, but also my partner and our children. That meant the world, because when a veteran loses their sight, the whole family is affected. Until I had my eye removed, people didn't even understand that I was injured. It was invisible, and that made it even harder to deal with.
"I was fitted with a prosthetic eye, but it was so uncomfortable, and I was told I would need yet another operation on my eye lids and I couldn't face it. So, I spoke with my family, and we all agreed that if I was OK with how I looked (without the prosthetic eye), I didn't need it."
While Steven isn't legally classified as sight-impaired, he says his sight loss affects him every single day. He finds it hard to walk downstairs, judge distances, or notice things from the side.
He's also 'constantly worries' about bumping into things. Steven says he's spent ten years 'pretending he doesn't have sight loss'.
He added: "Over time, I've tried to be a bit kinder to myself. The support I received from Sight Scotland Veterans was invaluable.
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"They encouraged me to get involved with the community again. I started by volunteering to coach my son's football team. That led me to the Lothian Veterans Centre where, after seven months of volunteering, I was offered a part-time job as an employability officer.
"Eventually, I became the operations Manager for four years. It was a rewarding but demanding role, often supporting people in crisis such as facing job loss, homelessness, or struggling with their mental or physical health.
"I was regularly contacted out of hours, even on Christmas Day, and often neglected my own wellbeing. All this time I wasn't dealing with my own sight loss, and my mental health began to suffer. Throughout this time Sight Scotland Veterans remained a constant support."
Steven realised he 'needed a break', and began exploring mindfulness and yoga. He found a role with Sight Scotland Veterans, and began helping veterans rebuild their lives after the pandemic.
Since then, he's started a new role as an independent living worker. He added: "I thoroughly enjoy helping veterans live as independently as possible and reconnect with their communities.
"I know first-hand how vital this support is, especially for those experiencing sight loss for the first time or facing significant changes."
