Simon Weston’s Story

I was on board the RFA Sir Galahad when it was destroyed in the Bluff Cove Air Attack in 1982 during the Falklands War. Argentinian forces hit the ship and ignited the fuel. We lost 48 men on board, most of them my friends, and of the 97 that survived I was told I was the worst injured. I was severely burnt all over my face and body.

Since the age of 20, I have had to live with my scars. I have had a series of surgeries and skin grafts, with the first 18 months being the most intense. Many things I had taken for granted were no longer possible. My injuries meant there was no recourse to my career in the Army. I had been an avid rugby player, but the fragile nature of my scarred and grafted skin no longer allowed for contact sports.

In the early days, this abrupt change caused severe psychological challenges. I suffered with PTSD and didn’t get enough receive enough support. I sunk into depression, worrying if I could ever have a normal life again and if would be able to have a family. I will be honest, at times I was suicidal. But my family and friends were my support network. If I was getting out of control they would tell me. There was a great deal of strength and love which pushed me forward.

It didn’t happen overnight, but I gradually put all my doubts about the future to bed and rebuilt my confidence. It was long path and a huge transition, but I had to learn to like myself, the person that I was. Ultimately, I did.

I am passionate about the issue of scarring, and want people with these kinds of visual differences to be accepted in society. Often, people stare at us – staring is invading someone’s privacy. It’s sometimes almost impossible to hide your scars. And why should we hide them? People with scarring are not a toy or a collectable for your appreciation – they’re real people who just want to be treated as equals. Nowadays I’m not affected by the offensive things some people say. I’m very comfortable in my own skin, and want others to be too.

I am so proud to be the Lead Ambassador of The Scar Free Foundation. I am also the longest running Ambassador, as I joined when it started in 1999. The Scar Free Foundation has such a great vision. There’s a heck of a lot of work to do. We need to have something in place to minimise scarring and eventually eradicate it. It is a fantastic group of people, a small but dedicated team that’s been so successful in what they’ve done so far. But more funding is needed for the Foundation to continue.

Being scarred is being disfigured. Being scarred makes me different. But I use this as an opportunity, even as a topic of conversation. So if you’re a young person with scarring, or someone who’s only recently had to deal with its effects – don’t despair. Be confident. Like who you are. The scars you have are a part of you, and that can be positive.

You can’t live in the past but you can take the lessons of yesterday to the future. And as people with scarring, our contribution is as valuable as all the clinicians, the researchers and so on. We’ve been the tapestry for them to work with and should be proud to wear and speak about our scars.

Ultimately, The Scar Free Foundation presents hope for the future. That things really can get better through research. That the mental anguish of scarring that has affected me and millions of people, will be history.