Paramedic John Eames left his home for a 12-hour shift – 22 weeks later he finally returned after receiving horrific leg injuries in a road accident.

The first days at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (QEHB) are still a blur for John, who had to undergo four operations to repair his shattered leg.

Months later, the 38-year-old is learning to walk again and has been able return to his home in Burton, Staffordshire.

“It has been a difficult time. Life-changing,” admitted John, who has been with the ambulance service for eight years. “When something like this happens to you there is a choice and you have to get on with it: take one day at a time.”

After many weeks at QEHB he was transferred for further rehabilitation to the Queens Hospital Burton because his home was not suitable for a wheelchair.

At his side throughout has been his wife, Sarah, who praised the work of the specialist teams at QEHB.

She recalled the fatal morning when the call came through from her husband’s colleagues: “I was at work and I was told wherever I was I needed to get to Birmingham as soon as possible. You don’t know what to expect and it is the adrenalin that keeps you going through the following hours and days.”

The couple admitted they did have doubts that John would ever walk again but have been encouraged by the positive approach of the professionals who had an input into his treatment.

Sarah, a care manager with a nursing background, said: “What is so impressive is that there is an holistic approach to the treatment – real multi-disciplinary care which enabled me to be part of John’s treatment.

“I do have a nursing background but you can never, ever be prepared for dealing with your own relative in this situation. He is lucky to be alive and that is due to the dedication of the teams at the hospital.”

The latest stage in John’s treatment includes attaching an Ilizarov frame to his badly-injured leg which uses wires and screws to support the bones during the healing process.

Six months after the accident the couple still have to make regular trips to QEHB for check-ups with the Limb Reconstruction team, which includes Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon Deepa Bose and Philippa Bridgeman, a clinical nurse specialist.

Philippa has been able to give Sarah practical advice on how to care for John at home, including keeping the frame and pin sites clean to reduce the risk of infection.

Sarah said: “We are really proud of what John has achieved and he keeps achieving goals. He has made fantastic progress and it is thanks to so many who gave such wonderful support, including nutritionists who were exceptional. He received such a high standard of care and that has made a real difference.”

Philippa believes John’s progress is going very well: “John and Sarah are really positive and motivated and that is really important. It has been a long hard struggle but we certainly expect his progress will continue and he will get back an excellent quality of life.”

A £2,500 grant from the Blue Lamp Foundation, set up by PC David Rathband, who was blinded by gunman Raoul Moat, has made a difference. Work is now underway to adapt the house, including a first floor bathroom, to meet John’s needs.

It was the first award for the Foundation and the police officer travelled to Burton to present the cheque.

John said: “It was a privilege to be the first recipient of the charity. It meant I was able to get home, which was important. It was strange to meet David. Our stories are very different but we have both found ourselves in situations that usually happen somewhere else to someone else.

“Our lives have both been changed but we have taken a decision to get on with what life has to offer.”

PC Rathband said he was delighted to present the award: “John is living proof that my foundation is here to help. This is the culmination of what we set out to do.”