Crippen Cartoons cartoons at the cutting edge of disability

Having worked so hard at challenging the ‘tragic but brave’ stereotype of disability, it still persists, although this time with a rather ironic twist.

A surgeon who carried out hundreds of amputations before losing both of his own legs has accepted an award for being one of the bravest people in Britain at the Amplifon Awards for Brave Britons 2020. Although he has redeemed himself by launching a one-man mission to improve after-care for fellow amputees in the South West of England.

Dr Neil Hopper, a vascular surgeon from Cornwall who lost both his legs after developing sepsis after a camping trip with his children last April, has returned to work at the Royal Cornwall Hospital at Treliske in Truro with a mission.

Dr Hopper who has performed hundreds of amputations, spoke to Cornwall Live about his bid to improve post-hospital support and care for fellow amputee patients after his own experience. Specifically, he’s fighting for better care for amputee patients after they leave hospital.

He said: “…if they were cancer patients, the lack of support would be seen as a national disgrace!”

Dr Hopper added:

“The thing that made me worry was that I was getting the red carpet treatment. People were bending over backwards for me, a colleague, so I started imagining what it would be like for other patients.”

He added: “The thing I think we can easily change is that eight weeks between leaving hospital and getting legs. That’s the black hole nobody really thinks about. It’s fair to say we’ve spent decades improving amputee care in hospital. We’ve got that bit right now, but it’s that next bit that doesn’t seem to be as good.”

Changes have already been made thanks to Dr Hopper’s determination and you can read about these in the full Cornwall Live article.

Description of cartoon for those using screen reading software

Dr Hopper, wearing a rabbit costume, is seen ‘hopping’ down a hospital corridor on prosthetic blades. A voice from a speaker on the wall is saying: “Dr Hopper please bravely hop down to Theatre C.”