Stephen Holden looked to the fighting spirit of the Anzac’s and his World War II veteran grandfather to help him achieve his goal.

Stephen proudly marched along Baylis Street with his father Allen Holden and son Jack.

If it weren’t for the crutches tucked under Stephen’s arms – the crowd would not know that he had been on deaths door mere months ago.

Jack proudly held the portrait of William Holden – the man Stephen was marching for. 

“Anzac Day has been the most important day of the year for me ever since I was a child,” Stephen said. 

“A year ago we planned, as a family, to do the march together – for my dad, for my grandfather.” 

That was before Stephen was knocked of his motorbike in Wollongong and forced into an induced coma. 

The father of two suffered a punctured lung, five fractures to his ribs, a crushed wrist, facial damage and bleeding to the brain.

“I lost my memory for two weeks,” Stephen said.

Placing a hand on his face, Stephen pointed to his eyes and down to his cheekbone.

He had to have facial reconstruction on the left side of his face.

“My face was completely shattered – I have no memory of it.” 

Stephen was in St George Hospital, Sydney for five weeks.

“The doctors and nurses have been shocked at my recovery,” he said.

“I planned to be here last year and I really needed to be.

“With my dad, for my grandfather – and this accident has given me a different mental outlook on life.” 

Stephen’s son Jack, 7, wearing a black suit and red hand-knitted poppy said he was marching for the great-grandfather he never knew but greatly admired. 

“I like him, it felt good (to be marching) because he’s my great grandfather,” Jack said.

The portrait brought four generation together.

“I've tried to explain it to him,” Stephen said.

“I want him to understand it all.”