The parents of a seriously injured Royal Marine are thanking the Birmingham military teams who saved his life and supported them during his recovery by doing a sponsored skydive.

Sue and Michael Hawkins almost lost their son Ed, now 26, in May 2010 when an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated while he was on patrol in Afghanistan. The blast killed his corporal and seriously wounded Ed who was treated at Camp Bastion before being flown back to hospital in Birmingham.

The couple, who live in Hampshire, will be doing a tandem skydive in Oxfordshire on 23 November to raise funds for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (QEHB) Charity’s Forces and Families Centre Appeal and SSAFA Forces Help.

Sue, 52, explained: “We both hate heights, so this is a really big deal for us, but we were keen to do something which challenged us and at the same time inspired our friends, families and colleagues to donate. Having lived through the last year and experienced the highs and lows together with the difficulties such an incident can have on everyone concerned, we know that these charities truly can make a huge difference to future families. It is really important to us that we raise as much money as possible.”

Ed’s troop was positioned at a patrol base called Almas in Helmand Province. It was during one of their routine patrols that the IED detonated.

Sue said: “Ed was categorised as a VSI - very seriously injured. His survival was uncertain and we have since discovered that he was resuscitated three times. The side of his chest took the blast, leading to a severed artery with associated blood loss, punctured lung, shattered scapula, and a mouthful of metal fragments which caused enough damage to require three years of work.”

Ed was admitted to Selly Oak Hospital's Critical Care ward, which moved to the new Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham in June 2010. Sue, Michael and their daughter Emma, who is now 24, were initially accommodated across the road from the hospital. When Ed improved and had moved onto the military ward, they transferred to SSAFA Norton House, also in Selly Oak.

“Fourteen brave men from 40 Commando lost their lives in 2010,” said Sue. “These deaths change their families’ lives forever. We rarely hear about those that are injured but, to give you an idea, when we were at Selly Oak the military ward had approximately 30 beds available and all were filled most of the time. The patients come and go; when one bed is vacated, another patient fills it.

“We feel that it is now time for us to repay some of that kindness and support to help families in the future, who as yet have not had the dreaded ‘knock on the door’. We are passionate about helping the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Charity and SSAFA develop their Forces and Families Centre for injured servicemen and women to relax in with their families and friends. We know how important it is to have such a ‘home from home’ in difficult, emotional and challenging times. Having somewhere to come to terms with everything that has happened is vital to being able to move on.”

To sponsor Sue and Michael, please visit Sue Hawkins' Virgin Money Giving page.

To find out more about QEHB Charity’s Forces and Families Centre appeal and to make a donation please call the charity on 0121 371 4852 or visit their website.