“I was delighted when TASC agreed to pay for a golf buggy to aid my mobility. The buggy will absolutely change my life as I’ll be able to do the things other people may take for granted, like going to the shops or taking my dog for a walk.”
Bill, Retired Emergency Care Practitioner, Cambridgeshire
Bill came to TASC struggling with his Complex PTSD and in need of support with his mobility after being diagnosed with MGUS disease. To support him, TASC provided Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and a financial grant for a new golf buggy. Here’s Bill’s story:
“During my time in the Essex Ambulance Service, I was a nurse, a paramedic, and lastly an Emergency Care Practitioner (ECP); and I’ve seen an awful lot of trauma and heartbreak. Being one of the few ECPs in my area who was trained to prescribe medicines and anaesthetics, I was sent to road accidents nearly every day and in my last two weeks before retiring, I was first on the scene at six very serious car accidents.
On top of this, in 1993 I volunteered as a paramedic in the Bosnian War. During one mission, I was taken to a hospital to treat children, but on arrival, I found the hospital was full of soldiers who they demanded I treat. I was kept as a prisoner for six weeks and threatened with torture and violence if I didn’t help. I didn’t realise it at the time, but a few years later: Bang! It hit me, hard. I was later diagnosed with Complex PTSD with my biggest problem being severe dreams and flashbacks; I was terrified to go to sleep.
Last year I was suddenly diagnosed with MGUS disease and in less than 12 months, I became disabled. I am a huge golf fan and I found that it helped my PTSD, but suddenly I couldn’t play because I couldn’t walk. I was gutted, extremely depressed, and in severe pain. A former colleague told me to contact TASC to see how they may be able to help.
The team was absolutely five stars. I found their common sense and their reliability to be their two best attributes – I knew I was in a safe pair of hands.
Firstly, the team arranged for me to have Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) with a counsellor. I have had CBT in the past, but this time I found it extremely helpful to help me get my head straight.
At the same time, another charity sponsored an emotional support dog called Sam for me. Because of the Coronavirus, I have had Sam since he was eight weeks old and with the charity’s help, I have been training him to wake me up if I have a nightmare. Together with TASC’s counselling, training Sam has kept me sane over the last few weeks and I would be in a much worse place without him.
Finally, I was delighted when TASC agreed to pay for a golf buggy to aid my mobility. The buggy will absolutely change my life as I’ll be able to do the things other people may take for granted, like going to the shops or taking my dog for a walk. Most importantly, I’ll be able to get back on the golf course again; my buggy is being delivered this week and I can’t wait!
I would highly recommend TASC to any current or past ambulance staff. They are there for you if you’re in need, so give them a call.”
Bill, Retired Emergency Care Practitioner, Cambridgeshire
