Introduction
When you listen to Wayne Ingram MBE on the Eventful Lives Podcast with Dodge Woodall, it becomes clear that his story is not just about war — it’s about humanity, resilience, and the lifelong battle with trauma.
In this gripping episode, Wayne takes us from the frontlines of Bosnia, where he witnessed some of the worst atrocities since the Second World War, to the streets of Northern Ireland during the IRA’s most hostile period, and into the daily reality of living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
But this is also a story of hope. From raising £160,000 to save the life of a young Bosnian boy born with a severe facial deformity, to channelling his struggles into helping others, Wayne’s journey reminds us that even in the darkest times, there is light.
Bosnia: “The Worst War I’ve Ever Seen”
Wayne describes Bosnia in harrowing detail — not as distant headlines, but as lived reality. From villages wiped out by ethnic cleansing to mass graves being uncovered before his very eyes, he paints a picture of war’s true cost.
He recalls arriving in towns where every building was scarred, families were broken, and hatred ran so deep it poisoned generations. One of the most haunting stories was the discovery of a mass grave where entire communities — men, women, and children — had been executed and buried together.
Wayne says:
“The atrocities I saw in Bosnia were very similar to the Second World War. In this day and age, it shouldn’t have happened — but it did.”
Northern Ireland: Living with Daily Violence
For many, Northern Ireland is remembered as news footage of riots and bombs. For Wayne, it was lived every single day.
Stationed in Belfast during the 1990s, he faced constant hostility: petrol bombs, street violence, and daily killings. Unlike Bosnia or Iraq, there was no cultural distance — it looked and felt like home, but with death around every corner.
Wayne admits that Northern Ireland left him deeply scarred:
“Ireland messed me up big time. Every night, people were being killed. There was no decompression, no time to process it. You were thrown straight back into normal life, but nothing about it felt normal.”
PTSD: A Battle Beyond the Battlefield
One of the most powerful sections of the podcast is Wayne’s honesty about PTSD. He doesn’t shy away from describing it:
- The nightmares and flashbacks.
- The black cloud of constant guilt.
- The aggressive outbursts that cost him relationships.
On a scale of 1 to 10, he describes his PTSD as a 10.
“I was a ticking time bomb. Punch first, ask questions later. I wasn’t me anymore, and I couldn’t see a way out.”
Yet his courage lies not just in surviving PTSD, but in speaking about it openly. By sharing his story, Wayne helps break the stigma that still surrounds veterans’ mental health.
Saving Stefan: £160,000, Five Operations, and a Lifelong Bond
Amid the horrors of Bosnia, Wayne met Stefan, a four-year-old boy born with a severe facial cleft. Doctors warned that without urgent surgery, Stefan would not survive.
Wayne promised to help. What he thought might take months turned into a 13-year fundraising mission, eventually raising £160,000 to cover five major operations in London.
He even reached out to celebrities, with only one replying — David Beckham, who sent words of encouragement. Despite the setbacks, Wayne never gave up.
Today, Stefan is thriving. He’s 27 years old, plays in a folk band, and has remained close to Wayne like family.
“He helped me as much as I helped him,” Wayne reflects.
Life After Service: Ambulance Work, Firefighting, and More Trauma
After leaving the Army in 2004, Wayne became a paramedic and retained firefighter. But instead of escaping trauma, he found himself at the frontline of emergencies — from road traffic accidents to cardiac arrests.
He recalls the devastation of trying to save a 13-year-old girl in cardiac arrest, with her parents screaming beside him. These experiences piled onto his existing PTSD, leading to breakdowns and eventually, a diagnosis.
Yet even here, Wayne chose resilience. He channelled his energy into fundraising, survival challenges, and writing his book Soldier of Conscience.
Recognition and the MBE
For his extraordinary fundraising and humanitarian efforts, Wayne was awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).
Although humbled by the recognition, he insists it is not about medals or titles. For Wayne, it has always been about keeping a promise — whether to a boy in Bosnia, to his daughter Freya (who underwent scoliosis surgery), or to himself, to never give up.
Soldier of Conscience: From Fighting the IRA to Battling PTSD
Wayne’s book, Soldier of Conscience, brings all these experiences together. It is not just a war memoir, but a raw, honest account of trauma, recovery, and hope.
All royalties from the book are being donated to Scoliosis Support & Research, in honour of his daughter’s surgery and to help other families facing the same struggles.
Available now via Pen & Sword and Amazon, the book is already inspiring readers across the UK and beyond.
Why This Podcast Matters
Dodge Woodall’s Eventful Lives Podcast is known for giving guests space to tell their story authentically. This conversation with Wayne is no different — it is emotional, graphic, but ultimately uplifting.
For anyone struggling with PTSD, grief, or trauma, Wayne’s honesty is a reminder: you are not alone, and healing is possible.
For anyone who has never experienced war, his words are a stark education in why peace should never be taken for granted.
Key Moments from the Podcast
- 01:32 – What Bosnia Was Really Like: “The Worst War I’ve Seen”
- 04:47 – Ethnic Cleansing & A Village Wiped Out
- 11:29 – Mass Graves: Digging Up the Unimaginable
- 14:44 – PTSD in Soldiers: How It Creeps In
- 21:50 – The Day His Mate Got Blown Up
- 24:05 – What PTSD Feels Like Every Day
- 36:40 – Raising £160K for Stefan’s Surgeries
- 39:58 – How David Beckham Responded to His Plea
- 46:10 – How He Earned an MBE (And Nearly Missed the Email)
- 49:32 – A Final Word to Anyone Struggling With PTSD
Watch the Full Interview
🎥 Watch the full interview with Dodge Woodall at the top of this page.
📚 Grab Soldier of Conscience via Pen & Sword or Amazon.
💙 Support scoliosis research via Scoliosis Support & Research.
