Birmingham soldier loses legs in Afghanistan horror

Aug 14 2009 by Nick McCarthy, Birmingham Mail

A BRAVE Birmingham soldier has suffered horrific injuries in a Taliban explosion in Afghanistan just weeks after despicable thieves stole troop aid parcels from his family.

Tyler Christopher is critically ill after having both of his legs amputated and also suffered serious arm injuries in the blast in Helmand Province.

It is thought he was caught up in the same incident involving an improvised explosive device which claimed the lives of three more British soldiers yesterday. They have not yet been named.

Tyler’s family were featured in the Birmingham Mail three weeks ago when thieves broke into his mother’s car in Erdington to steal parcels that she had been collecting and sending to him and his comrades on the front line. The 25-year-old former Barr Beacon School pupil has been serving with the 4 Rifles in Helmand Province and has previously completed tours of duty in Iraq.

Today, his mother, Julie, said her son would “fight back” from the terrible injuries and she urged people to keep sending parcels over to Afghanistan.

The 52-year-old carer for adults with learning difficulties moved from Great Barr to south Wales last December.

She said: “He is alive and he will bounce back from this. He is a real fighter.

“The sooner he is back at hospital in Selly Oak the better. I was just want to give him a hug.

“He is in hospital in Camp Bastion at the moment and they have had to amputate his two lower limbs and he has an injury to his arm.

“We have dreaded a visit from the military. I came back from shopping yesterday afternoon to find a car on the drive.

“The man got out and when I saw that he was in uniform I refused to get out of the car.

“I started screaming, is he alive? is he alive? and he said yes.

“I just want him home.”

“The response from the people of Birmingham to the thefts story has been fantastic. They have been so generous and we still want people to keep sending stuff out to the lads.

“The morale is going to be even lower after what has happened to Tyler. The army said there were five separate incidents within 24 hours, which they described as terrible.”

Tyler’s brother is up and coming singer Bryn Christopher who wrote his first song, Quest, about his brother’s experiences in Iraq.

The donations of food and other supplies were stolen from Julie’s car, which was parked outside her brother’s house in George Road, Erdington.