The Leeds Rhinos Foundation are to delighted announce that Sean Donlan, an injured war hero from a tour in Afghanistan in 2011, will be volunteering with the Leeds Rhinos Foundation to help out in all areas of the charity’s community work.
Sean, a Leeds native, joined the army in September 2004, climbing to the rank of Lance Corporal in his first five years as a soldier in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.
In 2011, Sean was on tour in Afghanistan, when an RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenade) hit a tank, and Sean was standing right next to it. Sean’s memory ends there, as the RPG caused him some very extensive head injuries. He sadly lost the use of his right arm, his right leg and also suffered catastrophic brain injury.
This affected his hearing from the time of the blast, and later his hear memory and speech.
Sean was immediately flown back to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham where he began the long process to recovery. After spending time recovering, and undergoing extensive reparative surgeries, Sean was released in to the care of Daniel Yorath House, a specialist neurological rehabilitation centre close to Leeds.
After making fantastic progress with the help of physiotherapy and cognitive support, including relearning to
use his arm and leg, and relearning to read and write, Sean was released gradually over the course of three years, to live his life again.
Sean has remained positive in the face of life-changing injuries, and has progressed so well over the past five years that he is now driving, able to get out and volunteer and is even doing some amazing physical challenges.
He has, in the past year, completed an Ironman, a marathon and is training for the ARCH to ARC challenges, a cycling tour which will take him from Marble Arch in London to the Arch de Triomphe in Paris at the end of June.
Through Sean’s incredible can do attitude, and through the work of charity WWV, and the Leeds Rhinos Foundation, this incredible hero is now able to work to help in his local community and to volunteer with his own sporting heroes, the Leeds Rhinos.
The life-long Rhinos fan will start volunteering with the Leeds Rhinos Foundation in June, starting with the Leeds Rhinos First Utility Super League fixture against Castleford Tigers joining the rest of the foundation staff in their duties with community clubs and schools taking part in match day activity.
Sean commented on his new opportunity with the Leeds Rhinos Foundation:
"I am overjoyed at having the opportunity to work for the team I support and having the chance to motivate and encourage an array of people to get involved in sport for the life benefits such as health and fitness and soft skills (team work, communication, respect).
"Sport has always played a vital part in my life and has truly helped in my rehabilitation therefore I want to use my personal experience to inspire and motivate others. I want to thank Leeds Rhinos Foundation for giving me the opportunity to volunteer with them and Rosie at WWV for organising this opportunity for me. I am extremely grateful and can't wait to get involved."
Bob Bowman, Director of Operations for the Leeds Rhinos Foundation added:
"It is a great honour to welcome Sean into the Leeds Rhinos Foundation family and I would particularly like to thank Rosie O'Conell from World Wide Volunteering for making the introduction.
“In life the word Hero is too easily used but when I met Sean and heard his story I was truly inspired, humbled, and realised I was listening to a true Hero. It is wonderful that he has the energy and enthusiasm to work with the foundation team and I am convinced that his positive personality and zest for life will truly help the community of Leeds."