Alex Carson
A Hero
Simon Brown served in the British Army for 13 years. He loved being a soldier and it was something that he was very proud of. In 2006, he was on a search and rescue mission in Iraq when he was shot in the face by a sniper. He managed to survive but he had to undergo over 25 surgeries to try to reconstruct his face.
The Permanent Damage
When Simon was shot, he became partially blind and needed a prosthetic eye. Due to the injury, he had to have his cheekbones, his nose, and his jaw reshaped and reconstructed. His new appearance made him incredibly self-conscious. He never regretted joining the army but he had to live on his own and it was going to be a long and difficult journey. The 25 surgeries that he needed is more than most people could handle, not to mention trying to move on after. Due to his partial blindness, he was discharged from the army which is the only life that he knew for many years.
Meet Temperance Pattinson
Temperance Pattinson is a 5-year-old girl. People call her Tempy, but she prefers being called Temperance. Ever since she was 3-years-old, she was proud of the work that soldiers and war heroes did. She thought that going off to war and fighting for their country was the bravest thing that a person could do. Because she looked up to soldiers and war heroes, she wanted to do whatever she could to help. Finally, she came up with something that she could do.
Marathons and Triathlons
Temperance decided that she would start joining marathons and triathlons that are dedicated to raising money to help soldiers and war vets. She says that she loves to challenge herself, even though she knows that they can be difficult. She also says that the triathlons can be scary. This is because she can’t ride a bike very well yet. In fact, her bike still has training wheels. She doesn’t let her fear or the difficulty level of the events stop her from helping the soldiers that she respects so much.
Help For Heroes
Help For Heroes is a charity that raises money for soldiers who have been injured in battle. This is the charity that Temperance often raises money for. The charity wanted to thank the little girl for all that she had done for them. They also wanted to raise some awareness for their cause. This was when the charity came up with the idea for Facing It Together.
What Facing It Together?
Facing It Together was a show. The producers brought Simon and Temperance together so that they could meet. She always wanted to meet real war hero, and Simon wants to do his part to help raise money for the organization that had helped him so much. Disfigured veteran with scars says hi to 5-year-old. Her response brings millions to tears.
Simon’s Fears
Simon knew that his appearance could be off-putting and he was worried that it would scare the little girl. It isn’t every day that a 5-year-old girl sees a man with a prosthetic eye and severe scarring on his face. When the two met, you could clearly see that Temperance was completely unfazed by his appearance. They had a lovely conversation, and at one point, his injury came up.
No Fear At All
Temperance wasn’t afraid of Simon at all. She wasn’t even afraid of the cameras. You could tell through the whole video that what she felt for Simon was admiration, adoration, and respect for Simon. She spoke to Simon as though they had been friends for years.
Talking Freely About His Injury
The part of the video that stands out the most is when Simon and Temperance talked about his injury. He spoke openly about where the bullet when into his face and where it came out. At one point, Temperance mentions him being shot in the eye. When he corrected her, there was no awkwardness between either of them. They just continue on talking like they have been friends forever.
YouTube Description
Most people think of soldiers as heroes. These people fight for the country where they live, and they put their lives on the line every day. When you see a 5-year-old girl who has been running in marathons and competing in triathlons since she was 3-years-old to raise money for soldiers, it is pretty incredible. Reading stories about this little girl can show how amazing she is; however, being able to see the videos of her interacting with a true war hero who was injured while on camera is absolutely incredible.
To see these two incredible people sitting down and having a conversation, you should watch the video. It is so sweet it will bring a tear to your eye.
