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Tyler Finnigan, then 15, had to have his arm amputated after his hand was sliced off by a moving train. He had accidentally slipped onto the tracks at Motherwell Station in North Lanarkshire, Scotland on April 2 last year.

Tyler, now 16, was placed in an induced coma at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow while doctors inserted 12 staples into his wound. Medics also battled to save his right ear by sewing it back on.

Since the horror, the teenager has suffered serious mental health issues and has contemplated suicide, devastated by the loss of his independence and haunted by traumatic night terrors.

His dad Kevin Finnigan, 45, is now trying to raise enough cash to buy him a state-of-the art prosthetic arm to improve his quality of life, Daily Record reports.

Tyler does not have enough bone in his limb to operate a prosthetic provided by the NHS.

Tyler, from Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, said: “I struggle with life on a daily basis. I can’t dress myself or tie my own shoelaces.

“I need help getting in and out of the shower. I can’t do simple things, like cut up a potato or butter bread.

“The worst part is going outside because I’m so paranoid everyone is staring at me.

“I take panic attacks whenever I hear a train and I have night terrors about the accident.”

The youngster had been looking forward to starting a mechanics course the week after his accident, but his plans for the future became impossible as a result of his injuries.

He added: “I’ve contemplated suicide, but all I want is my independence – more independence than I have now.

“I feel like all my friends have abandoned me and I’m in constant pain.

“Getting a prosthetic arm that would help me do that, it would mean the world to me.”

Kevin, who is a security guard, is desperate to help his son regain his independence and is trying to raise money for an artificial limb that works by recording electric signals.

The advanced electronics can cost anywhere up to £100k.

UK-based prosthetics firm Otto Bock currently offers the technology privately but the cost is priced per patient.

Its artificial limb, DynamicArm, is similar to others available in America made by companies such as Open Bionics and Mobius Bionics.

Kevin is now “working day and night” to help fund a prosthetic for his son.

The dad said: “Tyler has been struggling with his mental health and has been really low.

“It is heartbreaking for me to see him like this and feel like there is nothing I can do.

“A prosthetic arm that works will make a massive difference to his life.

“I’m concerned about his mental state of mind, he feels like I’ve got to help him wash and get dressed.

“He gets so frustrated that he can’t put on his own shoes.”

Kevin continued: “Getting him this arm is so important, it’ll help him regain his independence.

“I’ve been working all through Christmas to save as much as I can. I’ve got epilepsy so I’m meant to be off sick as I still have seizures.

“But I want to see my boy’s quality of life back again. I’ll keep going until he gets the arm.

“We just need to take each day as it comes.”

Donations to the fundraiser for Tyler’s arm can be made here.

If you are struggling and have suicidal thoughts, know you are not alone and that help is available. Please contact any one of the following. In the UK, you can call the Samaritans free on 116 123 (the number will not appear on your telephone bill) or email [email protected]. In America, The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a network of more than 160 crisis centres that provide a 24-hour-a-day service via a free hotline on 00-1-800-273-8255. Lifeline is a national charity providing all Australians experiencing a personal crisis with access to 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention services. Call 13-11-14. Help is ALWAYS available. If you need it, reach out.

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