Aussie tradie Brandon Ford warns against DIY jobs after mistake resulting in life-changing amputation

An Aussie tradie has shared details of the horrific backyard accident that resulted in the amputation of his leg in the hopes it will encourage others to think twice before taking on DIY projects.

Queensland electrician Brandon Ford had just turned 30 when he decided to fix a leak on the roof of his rented home in September 2023.

Ford lost his balance, falling off the roof and shattering his leg on impact with the ground.

The young father-of-two was rushed to hospital, with the pain so severe he required substantial sedation to be transported.

The fall resulted in 28 fractures in his lower leg and ankle which were treated through repeated surgeries over 18 months.

He initially had 38 screws and 6 plates inserted into his ankle to stabilise it, but in early 2024 during one of the surgeries, he got an infection.

Despite an intensive course of antibiotics, the infection wouldn’t clear up and Ford made the difficult decision to amputate his lower leg below the knee.

Now Ford is sharing his story, pleading with fellow Aussies to leave risky jobs to the professionals.

“Everyone just wants to get it done, and sometimes you just have to slow down and have a look because everyone thinks it’ll never happen to them, but it happened to me,” he told Yahoo News.

“Think twice, take a second, have a look. It’s just not worth it sometimes.”

Ford is a self-employed electrician who did rigorous safety checks at work but failed to do them for himself on that life-changing day.

“When you’re tired that’s when accidents happen. I regret not putting a harness on,” he said.

Despite his decreased mobility, Ford tried to work whenever possible but the young family is still more than $150,000 out of pocket.

Ford’s parents, Michael and Lara have set up a GoFundMe page to help pay for the overwhelming medical expenses that he faces.

The fundraising page has already raised over $50,000.

“Given his youth, active lifestyle, and strong desire to regain his mobility, he’ll need a variety of prosthetics, some of which will be highly advanced,” the page states.

“His goal is to reclaim his life and spend quality time with his wife Len and their two young daughters, Lylah (5) and Elouise (3),” his parents said.

Ford is managing to stay positive despite his life being changed forever.

“The last 10 months have been great in the sense that I am home, with the kids and my wife. It’s almost like it needed to happen to slow us down,” Mr Ford said.