IT was a sight many thought they would never see again.

This time last year, 34-year-old Alex Lewis was struck down by a rare illness that left him fighting for his life before cruelly robbing him of all four limbs.

But now the inspirational Test Valley dad has triumphantly taken his first steps unaided during an emotional night in his home town.

Alex proudly walked into The Greyhound On The Test in Stockbridge, run by his fiancee Lucy Townsend, ahead of a fundraising event in his honour.

He said: “I have not stood up in the Greyhound for over a year now, so it was a lovely feeling to walk in and stand here in my partner’s business.”

Alex was guest of honour at the cheese and wine night at the pub to launch the campaign by the village’s Southern Co-operative branch to raise £15,000 for the Alex Lewis Trust.

It aims to help fundraise for his rehabilitation as well as for the hospital where he was treated after contracting bacterial infection Group A Streptococcus, which rapidly developed into multiple organ failure, septicaemia and toxic shock syndrome.

Among those at Monday night’s event was former TV sports presenter Dickie Davies, who is a friend of Alex.

He said: “I have never met someone with such commitment. He has never had one ounce of self-pity in this.

“He’s just a remarkable man and it’s very inspiring to be in his presence.”

Alex is learning to use shorter prosthetic limbs before progressing to use longer legs.

“It is quite nerve-racking, there is always the possibility that I will fall over – that’s something quite constant in my life at the moment,” Alex joked.

His next goal is to walk Lucy down the aisle after he surprised family and friends by proposing.

After four years of regularly asking him whether he would ever marry her, Lucy had all but given up hope of becoming Mrs Lewis.

But after a life changing year Alex said he could think of no better reason than to make the mother of his three-year-old son Sam, his wife.

“It was because of everything that has happened throughout the year. She has been my constant support, she has raised my son, she has been incredible. I could think of no better reason to ask her,” he said.

Lucy said she had put thoughts of a wedding aside whilst supporting Alex on his road to recovery. The couple joke how Alex’s constant refusal to tie the knot before his illness struck – even betting his mum £100 he never would – formed the basis of a test by doctors to see whether he was brain damaged as a result of the illness.

Lucy, 41, explained: “We had to ask Alex a question that we were sure he would know, so I said to ask him whether he would marry me – and his immediate answer was ‘No’! We knew straight away then that he was fine!”

She said she was stunned when he asked her and described how their relationship had not changed.

Lucy said: “I am not his nurse, I don’t think I would make a very good one! He has his nurse, who is fantastic, to help him and he really works a lot of things out for himself. We are here for him as his family.”

The couple plan to make the nuptials official with a ring in the new year before the wedding which is also planned for next year in France.

By then Alex, 34, is aiming to be up on full-sized prosthetic limbs in order to stand side by side with Lucy.

“She tells me that she won’t marry anyone shorter than her so I have got to be up on prosthetic limbs for that reason alone,” he quips.

The Southern Co-operative is encouraging shoppers at their Stockbridge store to help raise cash, by pledging that a penny in every pound spent at the branch will be donated to the charity.