Life wasn’t great. I’d broken up with my wife, separated from my children and I was drinking a lot. I was living between my mum’s, my sister’s and my girlfriend’s at the time.
I was drinking so heavily that I ended up in hospital. I have a huge memory block – I actually don’t remember anything before going into hospital or even going to hospital at all. I was really ill, I basically nearly died. They called my family in and told them they didn’t think I would make it through the night. It was a massive wake up call.
I look back and I think actually, nearly dying did me a favour. I’ve had wake up calls in the past but never took any notice.
When I was in there I was feeling very low. I was very worried about where I was going to go when I left hospital. I ended up staying in a hotel. My sister made the arrangements for me to go straight to the council, she helped me out a lot. Then I met my Support Worker, Gill and she’s been there ever since!
Gill has helped me with so many things like getting the benefits I was entitled to and setting up appointments. While I was in hospital I built up a load of debt because I wasn’t able to work or pay any bills, and Gill helped me sort them out. She was great, it was exactly what I needed. I wouldn’t have been able to do it myself, I wouldn’t have known what to say. But having sat and listened to her dealing with these things, I put that into practice and tried it and I got somewhere. Now I’m even helping my mum sort her stuff out.
I look back and I think actually, nearly dying did me a favour. I’ve had wake up calls in the past but never took any notice. This time I’ve had to take notice because I’ve come out of it a diabetic as my pancreas packed up so I really have to look after myself.
Now I’m looking forward to the future. I’ve stopped drinking, I’ve got my own flat and I’ve started to rebuild my relationship with my daughter which I’m really pleased about. I feel a hell of a lot better but I need to get fitter before I think about anything else.I just can’t thank Gill enough for what she’s done because she’s been brilliant. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her.
When I first met Brett he seemed a bit lost and confused. He was unclear about how he could improve his current situation. Once we’d discussed the issues he was facing, it was just a case of getting it sorted. Brett had accumulated a lot of debt following his spell in hospital, so I helped him liaise with debtors and bailiffs.
Brett was also having a difficult time with his family so I was able to provide him with emotional support to help him cope.
Since our first meeting I have seen such a difference in Brett. His confidence and self-esteem has increased incredibly, and he has become so much more independent.
If I could name one stand out moment during my time working with Brett, it would be the genuine relief and happiness he felt when we finally got his past financial concerns sorted. He now has the tools to sort these things himself, and is able to start looking forward to the rest of his life.