ALLY FACES A BETTER LIFE
Ally faces a better life
Report: PAULINE REYNOLDS Pictures: IAN MAGILL
THESE are the heartwarming pictures which capture the spirit of hope, a year after the brutality of the Omagh bomb.
Brave 13-year-old Ally Hall relaxes on the beach with his mum and dad, during a short family holiday at their caravan in Castlerock.
Despite losing his right leg below the knee in the atrocity - and now wearing an artificial limb - this extraordinary youngster is determined to put the past behind him. It's not enough that he rides his bike, swims, and plays golf and football.
"There are two things I really want to do next: learn to ski and climb Slieve Donard," says Ally with great conviction.
A year ago today, his future looked far more bleak. Ally, and mum, Gwen, were in town to buy his school uniform for the new term at Omagh Academy. They were just yards from the car bomb when it exploded. The force of the blast separated mother and son.
"I remember lying on the ground, and could feel things falling on top of me," says Ally.
Ambulance
"I tried to crawl away, and then tried to get up. I couldn't, and I knew something was wrong with my leg.
"I called for help, and a man carried me into Slevins chemist, and then I was carried into an ambulance.
"I was frightened, and confused, and wasn't sure what had happened."
What he didn't realise then, was that his foot had been completely severed.
Doctors said amputation below the knee would give him the greatest chance for the future.
Recovery was both long, and painful. But he rarely complained.
He had to undergo three further operations, when the wound became infected. But one of the most difficult hurdles in the slow process was learning how to walk again. His proud parents, Gwen and Lindsay, say the road to recovery was a "roller coaster of highs and lows".
And the highs included meeting his sporting heroes, Manchester United, and leading the Ireland rugby team out to face England at Lansdowne Road in March.
Now no one could ever guess the past suffering that belies his happy, carefree spirit as he plays on the beach with his mum and dad.
He talks easily about the artificial limb. It's a way of life for him. Fitting, and removing, it comes as second nature.
Both he and Gwen still need an operation each to repair their right eardrums, which were perforated in the blast.
Gwen has made a good recovery from her injuries, which also included a compound fracture to the leg, and a fractured skull requiring 12 staples.
Ally's outlook on the future remains both optomistic, and inspirational. "There's no point worrying. No one can turn back time.
"You just accept it, and get on with your life," says Ally, as he jumps on his bike to do yet another circuit of the caravan park.
Report: PAULINE REYNOLDS Pictures: IAN MAGILL
THESE are the heartwarming pictures which capture the spirit of hope, a year after the brutality of the Omagh bomb.
Brave 13-year-old Ally Hall relaxes on the beach with his mum and dad, during a short family holiday at their caravan in Castlerock.
Despite losing his right leg below the knee in the atrocity - and now wearing an artificial limb - this extraordinary youngster is determined to put the past behind him. It's not enough that he rides his bike, swims, and plays golf and football.
"There are two things I really want to do next: learn to ski and climb Slieve Donard," says Ally with great conviction.
A year ago today, his future looked far more bleak. Ally, and mum, Gwen, were in town to buy his school uniform for the new term at Omagh Academy. They were just yards from the car bomb when it exploded. The force of the blast separated mother and son.
"I remember lying on the ground, and could feel things falling on top of me," says Ally.
Ambulance
"I tried to crawl away, and then tried to get up. I couldn't, and I knew something was wrong with my leg.
"I called for help, and a man carried me into Slevins chemist, and then I was carried into an ambulance.
"I was frightened, and confused, and wasn't sure what had happened."
What he didn't realise then, was that his foot had been completely severed.
Doctors said amputation below the knee would give him the greatest chance for the future.
Recovery was both long, and painful. But he rarely complained.
He had to undergo three further operations, when the wound became infected. But one of the most difficult hurdles in the slow process was learning how to walk again. His proud parents, Gwen and Lindsay, say the road to recovery was a "roller coaster of highs and lows".
And the highs included meeting his sporting heroes, Manchester United, and leading the Ireland rugby team out to face England at Lansdowne Road in March.
Now no one could ever guess the past suffering that belies his happy, carefree spirit as he plays on the beach with his mum and dad.
He talks easily about the artificial limb. It's a way of life for him. Fitting, and removing, it comes as second nature.
Both he and Gwen still need an operation each to repair their right eardrums, which were perforated in the blast.
Gwen has made a good recovery from her injuries, which also included a compound fracture to the leg, and a fractured skull requiring 12 staples.
Ally's outlook on the future remains both optomistic, and inspirational. "There's no point worrying. No one can turn back time.
"You just accept it, and get on with your life," says Ally, as he jumps on his bike to do yet another circuit of the caravan park.
Further Information
Publisher: SUNDAY LIFE
Ref: SL/092
Published Date: 15-Aug-99
Related Images
