Girlfriend says yes as war veteran gets down on bionic knee
War veteran Clive Smith is not only walking again since having bionic legs fitted - he has been able to get down on one knee and propose to his girlfriend.
The 30-year-old former soldier popped the question in Australia where he underwent pioneering surgery to help him walk for the first time in a year.
Delighted partner Jenn, a 29-year-old marketing manager, swiftly accepted and the happy couple have been celebrating with family and friends since arriving back in the West Midlands.
She tweeted from Australia: "What a surprise to tell you all!!!!!Last day in Sydney and now that Clive can get down on one knee........ He decided to ask me to marry him & of course I said YES!!!!!!!! "
She also posted a picture on social media of her unusual three-band engagement ring, along with a photograph of the sweethearts looking chilled and happy following the proposal.
The pair, who knew each other as students at Cannock Chase High School, met up again on social media two years ago, and their friendship deepened into love. Now they are back home in Walsall and planning for their future.
Sapper Smith, a Wolves fan originally from Cannock, has made huge progress since undergoing the eight-hour surgery at Macquarie University Hospital in Sydney in January after remortgaging his home to pay for the £90,000 medical procedure.
The life-changing operation joined his thigh bones to titanium rods that connect directly to his artificial legs, eliminating the need for sockets which caused painful blistering and left him confined to a wheelchair as he was unable to wear them.
Now he is able to take on more responsibility at home, even taking over cooking duties in the kitchen.
Despite picking up a 'stinking' old, he says, he has continued the exercise regime that he started in Sydney to regain his muscle strength and recently came top of a fitness firm's leader board for the number of steps taken in a week - a record 21,180. On his best day so far, he also walked 3.5km, or more than two miles.
Jenn, who has been behind him every step of his recovery, even taking a six-week break from work to accompany him to Australia, said seeing him walking around without the need for a wheelchair was 'awesome'.
He has also paid tribute to her, calling her 'my absolute rock'. He told the Express & Star before returning home: "She has not left my side since being here and is doing my dressings every day and sorting out my numerous medications."
The surgery was carried out by Dr Munjed Al Muderis, an Iraqi medic who fled Saddam Hussein's regime, whose declared mission is to help British soldiers who were injured in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Spr Smith, who was the face of the 2012 Poppy Appeal, lost his legs after attempting to defuse a bomb which exploded during an operation in 2010.
His Facebook blog on the specialised osseointegration surgery has inspired hundreds of viewers.
Ian Stephens wrote: "Excellent news to see you doing so well. This blog has been the most inspirational thing I have ever read in my 54 years. It has given me strength in my own life."
