Anthony Seward is able to rejoin his dream job (Picture: SWNS)
A firefighter has returned to work six years after his hand was seriously injured – then saved when surgeons sewed it into his stomach.
Anthony Seward was 21 when he feared he’d lose his left hand after it was ‘degloved’ in an unprotected machine at a textiles plant.
But six years on his hand has been saved, and he’s been able to return to his dream job at Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service.
He’d only been working with the fire service in his hometown of Tiverton, Devon, for a year when his left hand was crushed.
Anthony, now 27, said: ‘I’d always wanted to help people and so the fire service was something I was interested in.
‘Every day is different, it’s a challenging but great job.
‘But at first I had to work a job on the side too – which is when I had my accident at a factory.
‘The accident was pretty painful, though it was probably more painful seeing Chelsea lose in the football this season.
He’s now back at work at Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service (Picture: Daniel Dayment/SWNS)
His hand was sewn into his abdomen using a World War I technique (Picture: SWNS)
He’s now passed the minimum grip strength in his left hand (Picture: SWNS)
‘My hand was crushed and I lost all of my grip strength and dexterity. It was quite a serious de-gloving injury.
‘They had to perform four surgeries on my hand, but it was only when a surgeon said he would have to amputate the ends of my fingers that I realised I was never going to be a firefighter again.
‘You feel invincible when you’re younger, and then one day something happens and you have a hard realisation that you’re not.
‘I had envisioned a long career in the fire service doing what I enjoyed. It’s an incredible job, to have that taken away was devastating.’
The tips of his four fingers had to be amputated, but surgeons saved the rest of his hand using a World War I technique – storing his hand inside his abdomen to help it heal.
Anthony passed the minimum-expected grip tests while studying a strength and conditioning course at the University of Birmingham, and he can now return to his dream job in the fire service.
He added: ‘I had given up on ever returning but then as part of a module I tested my grip strength and I just barely passed.
‘I suddenly realised it might be possible to go back. I had been able to do deadlifts and pull ups, grip strength was one of the last real physical barriers.
‘Passing the test gave me a green light, so I just thought, “this may actually be physically possible”.
‘It was just up to me to work around practical demands of the job.
‘I spent weeks modifying my old service gloves into a mitten for my hand and testing them out in training exercises.
‘Eventually I asked to be re-admitted, and passed the tests. It was quite surreal.
‘Once I got back in they were really helpful to make sure I was practical and operational. I really wanted to be a help, not a hinderance.
‘Now it’s just back to work.’
Anthony was hospitalised following the horrific incident (Picture: SWNS)
Anthony’s hand pictured at various stages of the reconstruction (Picture: SWNS)
Anthony credits the ‘amazing’ work of the NHS and the surgeon, James Henderson, who saved his hand at Southmead NHS Hospital in Bristol.
He said: ‘I wouldn’t be in this position without the NHS, without the work that my surgeons did initially, the air ambulance and the ambulance service as well.
‘I’m in this position because of them.
‘I’m extremely grateful, there’s nothing I feel that I can do to repay them but hopefully I can do good by being back in another time.’
Anthony’s former employers were fined £300,000 after admitting health and safety offences when they failed to replace a broken safety barrier on the mangle.
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Anthony Seward has been able to return to his dream job six years on.