Farmer who lost his hand donates to hospital which treated him

The farmer, who lost hand in an on-farm accident, has donated thousands to the ward which treated him (Photo: Swansea Bay UHB)
The farmer, who lost hand in an on-farm accident, has donated thousands to the ward which treated him (Photo: Swansea Bay UHB)

A farmer who lost his hand in a machinery accident has returned to the hospital which cared for him to present a donation of £4,650.

Aneurin Jones, from Pumsaint, near Llandeilo, was back behind the tractor wheel just a few months after he was seriously hurt when his hand was caught in machinery.

He runs his own agricultural contractors business with his wife Heulwen, and their baby daughter Angharad.

But tragedy struck in May 2016, when Aneurin was working on another farm in the area.

His left hand got caught in the spinning blades of a forage harvester – a piece of machinery that turns forage plants into silage.

He was rushed to Carmarthen’s Glangwili Hospital but the damage was so severe he was immediately transferred to Morriston’s Pembroke Ward.

'Bones sticking out here and there'

Aneurin recalled how the machine had 'taken the hand off leaving bones sticking out here and there'.

But he said the care he received there was 'fantastic': “The doctor who was on call came in straight away to see what the damage was.

“The first two operations were just to get it clean ready to close up and make sure there was no infection. The third operation was to put it in a groin flap, and I had that for six weeks,” he added.

Aneurin had been told he would need to stay in hospital for those six weeks.

However, with Heulwen’s support he was able to stay home, returning to Morriston several times a week.

Heulwen said: “After six weeks he had his hand out of the groin flap and he was back on the tractor the next day.”

And because of the heavy-duty nature of his work, Aneurin, who had a further operation before Christmas, is not suitable for a prosthetic hand.

Instead, he is being fitted for a protective cast at Morriston’s Artificial Limb and Appliance Centre (ALAC).

The family now have nothing but praise for staff at Morriston’s. They have returned to the ward, accompanied by a group of well-wishers who helped raise £4,650 for its endowment fund.

'It has been a long road'

While on his latest visit to ALAC, he and Heulwen, along with Angharad, stopped off at Pembroke Ward. With them were representatives of Llannon Young Farmers Club, which has raised £4,000.

Further donations have come from Dyffryn Cothi Young Farmers Club (£250), Llansawel Rugby Club (£140) and family and friends (£260).

Aneurin said: “It has been a long road. It has been hard and quite emotional at times. I curse myself many a time. Why did I do it, but you can’t turn the clock back. It was an accident.

“I do think, how the heck did I do that? But it was late at night and I was rushing to get the job finished and silly things happen when you rush.”

Morriston Hospital plastic surgery matron Vikki Davies said: “We are extremely grateful to receive such a generous gift.

“The money will be used to purchase some much-needed patient equipment, which will benefit patients from all over Wales.”