A PHB has given me my life back
I am 53 years of age and have lived in Hartcliffe all my life and in fact, now live in my old family home which I first moved to aged 2.
I attended Whitehouse Infant/Junior School until the age of 11 where I moved on to Hartcliffe Secondary school leaving in 1981 and starting a 4 year apprenticeship as a coach builder with the Bristol Omnibus Company, qualifying in August 1985. The following year consisted of working at ‘A’ rate finally reaching the dizzy heights of a ‘A1’, a fully-qualified coach builder in August 1986 although this was to be short-lived as some 3 months later (November) during a Judo session I landed awkwardly on an opponent’s fist, severing the nerves in my neck meaning I couldn’t or wouldn’t be able to walk or use my arms again. As fate would have it, I was not meant to be training that night and only attended the session to prepare for a grading the following weekend.
Following surgery at the BRI to stabilise my neck, I was transferred to the Duke of Cornwall Spinal Treatment Centre, Salisbury where I spent 8 months rehabilitating. Family and friends drew up a rota to ensure that I had visitors throughout the week and my employer who has supported me ever since (being lucky enough the company had signed up to a private pension provider a few days before my accident thus giving me financial help), even giving my Fiancée a free bus pass to cover the long bus ride. I forged so many lifelong friendships at Salisbury and in fact, a fellow patient and one of the nurses are God Parents to two of my daughters.
Once I was discharged, my Fiancée and I decided to give ‘us’ a go & moved into a housing association’s adapted bungalow, living there for a number of years during which we were married (1988). 1990 saw us purchase our own property having a stair lift to enable me to get upstairs. We had 3 beautiful daughters but sadly, due to multiple health issues, I made the decision to move home to live with my parents in 2002 following which, our marriage broke down.
Though confined to a w/chair I am very proud to say it hasn’t hindered me gaining a BA at university allowing me to work first as a Analyst Programmer with SWEB and later as a Senior Database Officer with UK Transplant after which I returned to university gaining a Masters. I have also co-parented and helped bring up my daughters and now feel that I lead an even more active life than ever using my wheelchair and adapted vehicle to get around. My main hobbies are football, rugby and the theatre but nothing beats time with my wonderful daughters, close family and friends who have stood by my side all these years, particularly, my long suffering sister who is ALWAYS there for me (however much of a pain I am).
Still living in the family home after 16 years, one can gather I have used a variety of care providers, funded by numerous organisations, bodies including contributions from myself. Money was very tight BUT having a Personal Health Budget has changed this, I am now able to live in my own home (still) but with live in carers who specialise in spinal injuries supported by my sister as my Personal Assistant. Funding worries which originally caused a lot of stress and health problems have now disappeared allowing me to lead a full and active life and I even marked the 30th anniversary of my accident with a party for all my close friends and family!
Recently, I learnt I was one of the first people in Bristol to be granted a Personal Health Budget (PHB), so to put it in a nutshell, a PHB has given me my life back, the ability to choose my carers, freedom to go out when and where I want and most importantly my family were able to go back to being my family and not my carers…. and the rest as they say, is history!