British backpacker loses arm in gruesome accident while on gap year in Australia
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A British backpacker who spent time working on a farm in Australia has recounted the horrifying moment his arm was crushed and amputated.
Henry Dunn was in his last week of work at the farm, which is five hours south east of Darwin, when the accident took place on November 15.
The 23-year-old was operating a post driver, a machine that stamps fences into the ground, when his arm got crushed.
Dunn was flown 500km to Royal Darwin Hospital, where doctors were forced to amputate his left arm below the elbow in emergency surgery.
He is now trying to raise money to pay for the medical and rehabilitation treatments that aren't covered by his health insurance.
Despite the challenges he has faced, he has kept up a positive demeanour and regularly shares updates of his recovery journey online.
In one Instagram post, he shared that he had brought home his first prosthetic: "I’ve now tried on and brought home with me my first prosthetic. It’s the first of many - see it as a prototype.
"My 'residual limb' is changing shape all of the time as it goes through different stages of healing. Doctors explained the healing like baking a pie.
"The outside looks ready but inside is still raw; still a long way to go."
On his GoFundMe page, he has raised more than £8,000.
Dunn had graduated from Cardiff Metropolitan University in 2020, and embarked on a gap year to Australia two years later when Covid restrictions lifted.
Talking of his travels on his GoFundMe page, Dunn wrote: "I was finally able to fly out to Thailand on the 19th of January 2022 which marked the start of my year abroad travelling Southeast Asia and then progressing to New Zealand and Australia.
"In the 11 months of being away, I met amazing people, experienced new cultures, foods, and activities which all aided my personal development and view of the world.
"For the last 3 months, I set out to work on a Cattle Station in the Northern Territory; an amazing experience where I learnt so much about working with cattle and station life."
Most recently, Dunn has been given a 'pin lock' prosthetic, which he claims is easier to put onto his arm.
Explaining in an Instagram post, he said: "The functions are exactly the same as my previous one, but the pin lock system will stop the prosthetic from coming off due to sweat like the previous one did.
"It is far easier to put on and off using a pin lock system as it is basically a quick release and easy to lock in.
"I managed to have a little play on the rower during one of my physio sessions which felt great but maybe at a 20% push."
You can donate to Dunn's GoFundMe here.
