Andy’s story

“I was devastated to leave my job. I loved helping people and the role was so interesting because you never knew what the next job would be. Medication helps with my condition but I’m still in constant pain. When I have a bow and arrow in my hands, I can forget everything and live in the moment.”

Andy, retired, Doncaster

When Andy suffered nerve damage in his lower body it meant a sudden and dramatic change of lifestyle, and the man who had helped so many patients now needed help of his own.

After developing peripheral neuropathy, a condition which causes weakness, numbness and pain, Andy was left reliant on a wheelchair and the man who had helped so many patients now needed help of his own. A new lightweight wheelchair, funded by TASC in 2015, transformed his daily life and allowed him to try his hand at archery, a sport at which he quickly excelled. Andy, who worked at Two Shires and Beds and Herts until he had to medically retire in 2002, added:

Andy recently received a new car, funded though the Mobility Scheme, which is large enough to carry his wheelchair and, importantly, his archery equipment. TASC has provided funding for some of the optional extras – such as keyless entry and automatic ignition – to make life that little bit easier for him.